Innocent drink holder? Or health nightmare?

Mononucleosis is often invoked as a boogeyman on campus, and for good reason. With all the canoodling and “extracurricular activity” going on, it’s no surprise that you’ll have a few friends a year come down with the kissing disease. But is it possible to get mono from Peirce cups? Sure, they seem innocent, but we don’t know what they’re doing when they’re snuggled up all tight next to each other. 

I asked Dr. Amy Murnen, who works with the Health Center, about the chances of catching mono from a Peirce cup. She told me, “Mononucleosis is caused by the Epstein Barr Virus. It is spread through saliva, so if you were drinking directed after an infected person it is possible, although not very likely, to obtain the virus. Most cases are usually prolonged contact with saliva … if the drinking cup from Peirce has been washed, you will not contract the disease.” There you have it, folks. As long as you don’t drink from a cup directly after someone with mono has, you are going to be safe. You can breathe easy knowing that you won’t be missing a month of classes just because someone had a ill-advised hookup last weekend at the Cove. Also, use the cups all you want, but for the love of God, please stop hoarding them in your dorm or apartment. No one likes using paper cups. No one.