The Undergraduate Student Government granted the Middle Eastern and North African Student Association official programming assembly status at its Senate meeting Tuesday night. After undergoing a trial period over this semester, during which it proved a strong campus presence, MENASA will now have access to funding and support from USG. 

MENASA is currently working to hire professional staff for the MENA lounge — including an embedded MENA therapist — and adding a MENA race category on forms and applications. 

Patricia Gerges, director of community outreach for MENASA and a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, said having these resources and proper representation for MENA students is important because they can make more accurate assessments of their well-being. Gerges explained that MENA student data in publications such as student well-being reports is not accurately communicated in studies because of the lack of their own racial category.

“The lack of a category really is like an invisible barrier,” Gerges said. “The problem is when these people get admitted, that reflects on the University’s overall census and demographics.”

Sami Andari, director of external affairs for MENASA and a junior majoring in chemical engineering, also said MENASA not having status as a programming assembly under USG is part of what bars the MENA community from gaining access to resources that other student communities have.

“We’re not given some of the resources other assemblies have, like dorm floors, funding for big events and whatnot. It’s all things we really don’t have access to,” Andari said. “We believe that the main cause of that is us not being recognized as a racial category on these forms.”

Anthony Khoory, MENASA’s co-executive director and a senior majoring in sociology, said he believes the approval of MENASA as an official programming assembly will allow for their projects to move forward.

The expansion of the MENA lounge, which is located in the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, into a larger center is a goal that has been on MENA students’ minds for some time, Khoory and Gerges said.

“The space is not adequate enough, and it doesn’t suffice,” Gerges said. “There was a march for Mahsa Amini, the woman killed by the morality police in Iran, and a lot of Persian students were there demonstrating. They were all gathered in the MENA lounge and space, but it could not fit them all.”

Khoory said that continuing to push for the completion of these goals, such as the lounge expansion, is within the realm of possibility. 

“The student lounge was created after advocacy based on the coalition that I had made, which ended up becoming MENASA,” Khoory said. “The lounge was not something the [University] decided to make. It was because we had advocated for it since 2019.”

During their trial period, MENASA has shown a strong presence on campus and have held a number of on-campus events centered around involvement, racial inclusivity and advocacy. MENASA has several more events planned, including networking events, workshops, a MENA bash and activities with other organizations which are meant to increase MENA engagement on campus.

Andari said MENASA has been working hard to get these initiatives lined up in progress this semester.

 “We’re hosting many events and having events with other assemblies as well and just trying our best to legitimize ourselves on campus,” Andari said.

Andari also said it has not been an easy journey for MENASA to be incorporated as a programming assembly, but the support they have been receiving from USC has been helpful in guiding MENASA on what goals are achievable and connecting them with people who can help them make the changes they are striving for. 

“We’ve had many people at USC that were really helpful and really understanding, but we understand their limitations and what they can’t do,” Andari said. “We want to work with them.”

Gerges said there are multiple steps that must be taken before an assembly can become a part of USG, including the initial voting approval from various committees and then the Senate which decides if the assembly can stay a part of the programming committee.

“It’s not like any cultural organization is going to be part of USG,” Gerges said. “You have to present, you have to show them that you deserve it and that you are worthy of being there.”

The post Middle Eastern and North African students gain representation appeared first on Daily Trojan.

University of Utah volleyball played conference rivals California and Stanford at the Huntsman Center this past weekend on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Here’s how the Utes fared against their Pac-12 opponents:

Friday

To begin the first set against the Golden Bears, Utah earned a 7-3 lead early on. However, strong play from Cal tied up the score at 12 midway through the set. Freshman KJ Burgess and fifth-year senior Madelyn Robinson then earned kills to help lead Utah to a 16-15 lead over Cal. Junior Allie Olsen then earned multiple kills and a block to help lead the Utes to a 22-20 lead. Sophomore Lauren Jardine then came alive for the Utes, with 3 kills that made up the last 3 points the Utes needed to win the set at a final score of 25-22.

Utah came out firing in the second set, building an 18-8 lead with solid play all around. After a light Cal run, Utah finished off the set with a 7-2 run, and Robinson helped lead them with 4 kills total in the set with a final score of 25-13, giving the Utes a 2-0 match lead in the match.

The Utes gained another early advantage in the third set with a 7-2 lead early on, but a 5-0 run from Cal tied up the score at 7. Olsen then helped to lead a 9-0 run for the Utes, to eventually build an 18-9 lead. Cal then worked hard to cut into Utah’s lead, but with a 24-17 lead for the Utes, the match looked close to being over. A 3-0 run from the Golden Bears may have made the Utes nervous, but redshirt sophomore Abby Karich ended both the set and the match with a final kill to give the Utes the 25-20 victory in set 3, sweeping the rival Cal in a successful Friday night.

Sunday

After the sweep on Friday night, the Utes geared up to face No. 8 Stanford Cardinals.

The first set was very close to begin. Midway through the match, the Cardinals led 18-15 as the Utes were hoping to build a lead over them. Junior Amelia Van Der Werff, senior Emily Smith, Robinson and Olsen all helped the Utes on a 4-1 run to tie up the set 19-19. However, Stanford then went on their own run, a 5-1 score that led to set point at 24-20. Utah was able to piece together 2 points in a row, but a final point from Stanford finished the set at 25-22, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 match lead over the Utes.

The second set also began extremely close, as the game was tied at 14 a piece midway through. Stanford then was able to go on a 7-4 run to take a 21-18 lead over the Utes. Burgess earned a sideout to try to help her team, but ultimately Stanford finished off the set and won with a final score of 25-22, giving them a 2-0 match lead.

Facing a sweep, Utah found themselves with a 12-8 deficit against the Cardinals midway through the third set. Stanford continued to overpower the Utes, taking a 20-15 lead later in the set. Utah tried their best to catch up, but a final score of 25-20 ended the Utes’ night, giving Stanford the sweep for the match.

The Utah Volleyball team will continue their home stand as both Washington and Washington State will come to town next weekend. The Washington game will be on Friday, Oct. 14 while the Washington State game will be on Sunday Oct. 16, with both games taking place at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

m.lepore@dailyutahchronicle.com

@lepore_max

Midterm elections are around the corner on Nov. 8; here’s what voters can expect to see on their ballots.

Gubernatorial Race
The candidates running for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota are incumbents and DFL candidates Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The Republican candidates running against Walz and Flanagan are Scott Jensen and his running mate Matt Birk.

U.S. House of Representatives – District 5
Representatives are elected for a two-year term and serve in the U.S House of Representatives. Each representative represents a different congressional district to introduce bills and resolutions, along with other duties. Running to represent District 5, which includes the University of Minnesota campus, are DFL incumbent Ilhan Omar and Republican candidate Cicely Davis.

State Senator – District 60
State senators represent a certain district and introduce bills and resolutions in the Minnesota Senate. District 60’s current senator, Kari Dziedzic (DFL), is running unopposed.

State Representative – District 60B
State representatives represent a certain district and introduce bills and resolutions in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Incumbent Mohamud Noor (DFL) is running unopposed.

Secretary of State
The secretary of state’s role is the chief of elections, meaning they operate the statewide voter registration system, among other election duties. They also help Minnesota business owners start and run their businesses. This term’s candidates are Republican Kim Crockett and incumbent Steve Simon (DFL).

Attorney General
The attorney general serves as chief legal officer and represents Minnesota in state and federal court. DFL incumbent Keith Ellison is running for reelection against GOP nominee Jim Schultz.

State Auditor
State auditors are the state’s financial watchdogs. They oversee approximately $60 million in local government spending. This term’s candidates are Republican Ryan Wilson and current DFL State Auditor Julie Blaha.

County Commissioner – District 4
County commissioners ensure that citizen concerns are addressed and requirements from the state and federal governments are fulfilled in their county. Angela Conley is the current county commissioner for District 4 and is running unopposed.

County Sheriff
The Hennepin County Sheriff manages the county jail, provides security to the district court and creates initiatives to stay in line with the office’s mandate of “keep and preserve the peace of the community,” according to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office website. This year’s candidates are Joseph Banks and Dawanna Witt. This is a nonpartisan election.

County Attorney
County attorneys hold the most power in the criminal legal system because they can influence the community’s views on critical issues of justice and rights, according to the Minneapolis Foundation. The attorney primarily prosecutes felony crimes. This term’s candidates are Mary Moriarty and Martha Holton Dimick. This is a nonpartisan election.

The Student Government Association (SGA) hosted Emory University’s first-ever Wellness Open House on Oct. 3. The town hall-style meeting covered COVID-19, monkeypox, reproductive health and mental wellbeing. 

The event featured Chief Resilience Officer Amir St. Clair, Executive Director of Student Health Services Sharon Rabinovitz and Associate Vice President for Health, Well-being, Access and Prevention James Raper. Each speaker gave a presentation and answered questions from the student body. About 100 students attended either on Zoom or in Convocation Hall. 

SGA President Noah Marchuck (24C) and SGA Vice President Aditi Vellore (21Ox, 23C) said they were first inclined to organize the Wellness Open House when Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, leaving the legality of abortion access up to states. 

“I wanted initially for it to be about reproductive resources and what reproductive rights are still intact after everything,” Marchuck said.

Associate Vice President for Health, Well-being, Access and Prevention James Raper discusses mental health during the Wellness Open House. (Alina Glass/Contributing Writer)

Vellore had a similar perspective, saying that she and Marchuck were brainstorming ways to inform students about the new regulations. 

“Once we started hearing about monkeypox cases increasing and COVID-19 getting bad during the beginning of the semester, we were like ‘Oh, why not make this into a wellness event?’” Vellore said.

St. Clair, who has handled Emory’s COVID-19 response, kicked off the Wellness Open House by dicussinghow protocols have evolved since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We’re starting to layer back those restrictions and try and emphasize more education, making good decisions and leaning on the tools that are already in place,” St. Clair said. 

Emory will continue to refer to public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia Department of Public Health, county health departments and University experts, St. Clair said. He added that he hopes students will be cognisant of the cyclical nature of COVID-19 and stay on the lookout for any new variants.

Next, Rabinovitz presented on monkeypox, a virus that is spread primarily through skin-to-skin contact and was declared a national health emergency in August. She discussed its symptoms, which include fever, headache, and a rash. In the case of possible exposure, Rabinovitz recommended that students get tested through Student Health Services (SHS). In order to help stop the spread of the virus, she urged students to avoid skin-to-skin contact with symptomatic individuals, use hand sanitizer, and avoid sharing drinks, towels, or bedding.  

Discussing the mental impact the three-week monkeypox isolation period might have on students, Rabinovitz emphasized resources such as Counseling and Psychological Services and TimelyCare TalkNow. 

“It’s really important to have the support you need in isolation,” Rabinovitz said. 

She then spoke about what reproductive rights have and have not changed since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Abortions are now banned beyond six weeks of pregnancy in Georgia, unless the mother is at risk of serious harm or death, or in cases of rape or incest where a police report was filed.

“There are a lot of days in our lives that are like ‘I remember where I was when …,’ and this is one of them,” Rainovitz said. 

Services such as diagnostic imaging, in vitro fertilization and non-obstetric care or medication for pregnant people are still legal in Georgia. Student Health Services will continue to offer resources such as contraceptives, pregnancy detection and counseling for unplanned pregnancies, Rabinovitz added. 

“So what is changing?” Rabinovitz asked. “It is the consistent and intentional messages that we do as a community.” 

The University will work with students to help them meet any financial needs related to reproductive care, Rabinovitz said. For those under the Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP), costs for abortion services, contraception and out-of-state travel will be covered. For those not covered by EUSHIP, Student Case Management and Intervention Services can be utilized for additional aid. 

Raper, who arrived to Emory in June 2022, wrapped up the town hall with his thoughts on how to improve student mental health. He started by defining wellbeing as involving the Emory community as a whole. 

“How well are we as an organism, as an ecology?” Raper asked.

Raper then questioned what wellbeing looks, sounds and feels like for traditionally marginalized communities. 

“Most universities traditionally are constructed to be a more ‘well’ place for folks who hold a lot of privilege,” Raper said. 

Additionally, Raper presented a survey of how student mental health at Emory compares to national averages. The data showed that the 700-800 Emory students who voluntarily participated in the survey scored from 1.5% to 8% lower than the national average for the following statements: “I belong at my college,” “students’ health and well-being is a priority at my college,” “campus climate encourages free and open discussion of students’ health and well-being” and “we are a campus where we look out for each other.” 

Raper said he hopes to eliminate the often unintentional barriers that prevent students from accessing support services. His goal is to help every student bring their full selves to Emory and the world they enter upon graduation. 

The Wellness Open House provided students with the chance to hear from experts and voice any concerns. 

“There are so many issues going on in our society today,” Vellore said. “We wanted to create this event to make sure that people are better informed.”

The post Wellness Open House gives voice to student health concerns about COVID-19, monkeypox, reproductive care, mental health appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

Homecoming week is a time for Rams of the past and present to reunite and celebrate their Ramily in a weekend of fun and football. 

Whether you’re hosting a tailgate and grilling some bratwursts or killing time before Saturday’s kickoff, Fort Collins has a lot of activities for you to give your visiting family the full FoCo tour. Here are five things you should know to make the most out of Colorado State University and Fort Collins’ Homecoming offers.

Prepare for the unexpected

If you’re planning on making the rounds and participating in all of the events CSU is offering this year to celebrate Homecoming, you have to prepare for the unexpected. On Oct. 14 and 15, heavy traffic and parking could be an issue. Make time to arrive early. 

Wanting to swing by a few bars? Be mindful of lines — happy hour in a college town is a match made in heaven. 

If you want to go to dinner as a family or with friends, definitely call ahead to snag a reservation for your party, and don’t get snippy with employees — it’s a busy weekend, and they’re doing their best to ensure you’re having a good time.

Get a cup of coffee near campus 

One of my favorite things to do on the days before game day is walk around campus with my family and see everyone with their family or their friends. 

There really is no better feeling than having a hot drink in your hand while bundled up on a cool fall day and giving your family a tour of your home while you await festivities. Lucky for you, the campus area is crawling with coffee shops of all shapes and sizes. 

First, a few on campus: Morgan’s Grind Cafe in the Morgan Library, Sweet Sinsations Cafe in the Lory Student Center, Sweet Temptations Cafe in the Behavioral Sciences Building and The Human Bean truck, which is usually parked in the Moby Arena parking lot. 

Close to campus, you can find a Mugs location near The Oval and Momo Lolo Coffee Shop on West Elizabeth Street across from the Moby Arena parking lot. It’s pumpkin spice season, y’all! 

Stop by a CSU Homecoming event

CSU is hosting a plethora of Homecoming events, and the main events begin Oct. 13. You can watch the Friday Night Lights events starting at 6 p.m. Oct. 14, including the lighting of the A to represent Aggie pride, the big bonfire and an assortment of firework displays on the Lory Student Center West Lawn.

We’re celebrating, after all: We’ve got a win under our football belt (finally). Make time to see the Ram Walk as the CSU Marching Band leads the football team to the Canvas Stadium — one of my favorite parts of game day. 

“You only get so many homecoming weekends, so make the most of your time. Even if you’re a homebody on a daily basis, getting out and enjoying the fall weather with your loved ones is good for your brain.”

Saturday’s the big day when the CSU football team faces off against Utah State University. Grab your tickets, and buy a beer.

Do some window shopping — or, you know, actual shopping

I’ve lived my four years at CSU with crippling envy about not owning my own pair of those incredible yellow and green-striped overalls. There is nothing better than watching groups of people walk by in those silly pants, but will I ever actually wear them outside of football season? Probably not. 

You can determine for yourself whether they’re worth it — or you can look longingly at them and then buy a cute CSU sweater you’ll wear over and over.

Window shopping around Old Town is also always fun, even if you only buy a little trinket or a snack. FoCo is home to a bunch of little boutiques, plant stores, restaurants and more. It’s super pedestrian-friendly, and you’ll probably see a lot of dogs.

Spend time soaking it all in with your friends and family

You only get so many homecoming weekends, so make the most of your time. Even if you’re a homebody on a daily basis, getting out and enjoying the fall weather with your loved ones is good for your brain. 

There is a lot of flexibility this weekend, and there is so much to see and smell and interact with across campus and the community. Cross your fingers for Saturday’s game, grab a coffee or spiced cider, be safe and enjoy the weekend.

Reach Bella Eckburg at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @yaycolor.

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

A recent report revealed overwhelming Texan support for stricter control of guns and gun ownership.

The Texas Trends Survey 2022 Gun Safety report, released by the UH Hobby School of Public Affairs and Texas Southern University, surveyed Texan’s stances on gun control across various topics.

Renée Cross, senior executive director of the UH Hobby School of Public Affairs, said that despite Texas’ fame for gun ownership, Texans support gun safety enforcement. 

“While debates about the balance between Second Amendment rights and gun safety will continue to flare,” Cross said. “The survey provides no doubt there are areas of consensus.”

The survey, conducted in English and Spanish, received 2,140 YouGov responses. It revealed that most Texans support additional restrictions on purchasing firearms for individuals convicted of domestic violence or stalking. 

Additionally, the survey revealed that 78 percent of those surveyed support requiring criminal background checks on all gun buyers, 74 percent believe judges should have the power to take guns from people who pose a threat to themselves and others and 69% believe gun purchasers should be at least 21 years of age. 

The survey’s findings mirrored statements made by UH students. Environmental science freshman Rachel Roman expressed concern over the nation’s abundance of gun ownership. 

“There are more guns than there are people in the U.S.,” Roman said. “That is very concerning.” 

UH alumna Rose Ledermann, who majored in Japanese, called for stronger gun control laws nationwide.

“We definitely need more gun control,” Ledermann said. “There need to be more background checks for gun owners.” 

Marketing and entrepreneurship senior Quindon Jefferson-Bowers stressed his belief on how important it is for people to put differences aside to come to better resolutions regarding gun reform. 

“I wish people would just respect each other and be responsible and do good for the world,” Bowers said. “Unfortunately, the world isn’t like that, so we need things like gun control, gun reform. I wish both sides would find common ground and find a peaceful solution.”

news@thedailycougar.com

—
“Gun safety laws supported by most Texans, UH reports says” was originally posted on The Cougar

Editor’s Note: This piece is from the Openings print issue, published summer 2022.

Prevalence of depression and anxiety increased 25% globally the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. This year, over one in four Americans made New Year’s resolutions to improve their mental health, reports the American Psychiatric Association.

While Americans’ mental health may be suffering, the conversations surrounding it are steering the topic away from being taboo. But as we work to prioritize mental health, we must also recognize the vital role emotional intelligence plays in overall well-being.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and regulate your own emotions and the emotions of others. Emotional health is a key factor for mental health. Fostering emotional intelligence results in higher academic and professional performance. To adequately prepare students for life in school and beyond, universities should require courses that practice social and emotional learning.

Responsibility of Schools

Most agree schools should prepare students for life, as parents and educators want schools to foster children’s ability to act as responsible members of the community. But according to Jonathan Cohen, president of the National School Climate Center, “we have not substantially integrated these values into our schools or into the training we give teachers.”

Kids are often expected to learn coping mechanisms, empathy and communication without being explicitly taught them. According to a study by Fortune Journals, children learn emotional intelligence from their parents’ behaviors, meaning if a parent has a low emotional quotient, the child is likely to as well. Leaving these essential skills to be taught solely by parents allows some children to fall behind in learning emotional intelligence. A lack of sensitive parenting can result in low frustration tolerance and less resilience, overall decreasing one’s capacity for EQ.

By the time students reach college, a lack of emotional intelligence can hinder their education.

“In Utah, there’s a lot of polarization,” said Kylie Rochford, an assistant professor at the University of Utah who studies interpersonal relationships. “We want to learn how to have difficult conversations in a productive way. But without those basic skills, it’s actually not constructive to have those conversations.”

According to Rochford, emotional intelligence also impacts students’ emotional health, general well-being and ability to make sense of their feelings.

Schools, including colleges and universities, should prioritize social and emotional learning. Explicitly training emotional competencies leads to lasting improvements in emotional intelligence. It is the school’s responsibility to adequately prepare students for life, and emotional intelligence is an important component in life success.

Emotional Intelligence Predicts Life Success

Students with higher EQ scores tend to perform better academically than those with lower EQ scores, regardless of age, states the American Psychiatric Association. Emotional intelligence carries the same significance in the workplace.

One of Rochford’s studies focused on workplace dynamics in engineering.

“A huge percentage of job performance by engineers was actually due to their emotional intelligence,” she said.

This includes the ability to communicate, collaborate and coordinate effectively. And according to a CareerBuilder survey of hiring managers, almost 75% claimed to value an employee’s EQ more than their IQ. If emotional intelligence has a greater impact on employment prospects than reasoning ability, then schools need to increase focus on fostering emotional intelligence.

Implementation in Action

Kids benefit from social and emotional learning at a young age, but even college students could stand to benefit from implementing EQ in their curricula.

The U requires all Eccles School of Business students to take an introductory emotional intelligence course, taught by Rochford. It teaches strategies to navigate strong emotional responses and how to identify personal EQ. The department also offers higher level courses on the subject — additional progress is necessary and feasible.

Students and staff at the U could establish a culture that fosters emotional intelligence in a number of ways. Organizing student clubs, integrating EQ training into Housing and Residential Education and adding mandatory introductory-level courses to all curricula are methods already implemented nationwide. But we need more to foster an emotionally intelligent community. A student body well equipped with EQ tools could lead to more social integration between students in different programs, something our campus desperately needs.

An Empathetic Future

“Social disconnection right now is at an all time high,” Rochford said. “Regardless of which workplace you go into, there’s a really good chance that you’re going to have to interact with people who are quite different from you. Learning how to do that now is important.”

Coping with the stress of politics, the pandemic and inflation can be challenging. I find it increasingly hard to empathize with strangers as my perception of innate human goodness alters with every striking negative headline. Still, empathy and communication are vital to cooperation and functionality. Perhaps America’s current mental health crisis is the product of a generation’s neglect for emotional well-being, and maybe deliberately fostering emotional intelligence is the solution.

m.bringhurst@dailyutahchronicle.com

@maggie_bring

Emory University announced that masks are optional on all shuttles as of Oct. 3. The new policy lifts the final mask mandate on campus outside of clinical and select research settings. 

“We’ve been reviewing our community risk indicators, city of Atlanta policies and industry standards for public transit systems,” Chief Resilience Officer Amir St. Clair said. “Through that review process, we determined that we would move to mask optional on our shuttles.”

Shuttles returned to full capacity and began accommodating standing riders last May, although the University still required masks to ride.

Students wear masks while getting off of an Emory University shuttle. (Ally Hom/Photo Editor)

The decision to lift the mask mandate on shuttles comes almost seven months after masks were made optional in most indoor spaces on campus last March. St. Clair noted that at the time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still required people to wear masks when on public transportation conveyances or on the premises of transportation hubs. The order was lifted on April 18 after a federal judge in Florida struck down the mask requirement. 

However, St. Clair said the University evaluated the risk of the Emory community at the time and decided to continue requiring masks on its public transport system.

“As we did that evaluation, particularly knowing that our shuttles also serve our Emory Healthcare population and is a service that extends beyond just the University population, we took all those considerations into account and [they were] a large reason why shuttles remained mask-required until this past Monday,” St. Clair said.

Shuttle Drivers Mary West and Calvin Hundley both said that most people have still been following the mask requirements on shuttles for the past few months, despite some protocols being lifted earlier on campus.

“There’s been more masks than no masks, but some people took that option,” Hundley said.

Hundley, who was still wearing a mask while driving, said he does not believe the new mask optional policy will harm riders.

“Because we’re getting away from COVID, I think that it is optional and by not wearing masks, it’s putting no danger on anyone else,” Hundley said.

West, who was also wearing a mask at the time, said she does not mind the requirement being lifted.

“It doesn’t matter to me, as long as I got mine,” West said.

Some students, including  Yifei Zhang (25C), also expressed support of the University’s decision to make masks optional on shuttles.

“It’s totally unnecessary because when you are in quarantine or you are in your classroom, you don’t need to wear a mask,” Zhang said. “So it does not make sense to wear a mask on the bus.” 

There have been 45 reported cases of COVID-19 among students and faculty and staff in the past 10 days, according to the University’s COVID-19 dashboard. This is a significant decrease compared to the beginning of the semester, when a 414 10-day case count was reported on Aug. 31.

COVID-19 cases increased during the winter months the past two years. St. Clair said he expects to likely see a similar pattern this year because the virus has a cyclical nature.

“We know that during the holiday periods there are more gatherings, there’s more travel, there’s more social interactions,” St. Clair said. “Those are all precursors to higher COVID transmission, and it’ll also be the height of flu season, and so we’ll have lots of different viruses that will be circulating at higher prevalence during the winter months.”

The flu virus is expected to be prevalent throughout the United States this winter after it ripped through the southern hemisphere during its June to September flu season, St. Clair noted. After low transmission in 2021, the influenza virus hit the southern hemisphere hard; Australia, for example, just reached the end of its worst flu season in five years, with 224,565 notifications of laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. 

“We know that it has been a particularly challenging flu season in the southern hemisphere, and so we should anticipate that we may see a volatile flu season here as well this winter,” St. Clair said.

Students can best protect themselves by getting a flu vaccine, St. Clair said. Last year, all students, faculty and staff were required to get a flu shot. Although St. Clair noted that there is no requirement this year, he said Emory strongly recommends students, faculty and staff to follow public health guidance and receive their flu vaccinations. Students and employees working in a healthcare facility are required to “follow the guidance and vaccine recommendations of the facility in which they work.”

Even with the mask requirement being lifted in shuttles, there will still be protocols in place to manage COVID-19 on campus, St. Clair noted. The University will continue to enforce its notification requirements and isolation policy for students who test positive. Students who are exposed to COVID-19 will still have to wear a mask in public spaces for 10 days.

“What’s really important to not lose sight of is that people will go mask optional, people may not wear a mask, because they have built up that repertoire of other tools in their tool belt that they’re leaning on,” St. Clair said. “Testing regularly, staying home when they’re sick, getting vaccinated, getting boosted, all of that is working in concert with the ability to maybe not wear masks.”

The post University implements mask optional policy on shuttles appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

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The new Homecoming & Family Weekend Kickoff will bring Colorado State University alumni, students and families together to celebrate Ram pride at Canvas Stadium from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 13.

The event will feature a happy hour cash bar on the New Belgium Porch, food trucks and photos on the football field with CAM the Ram.

“It’s something new that we’re launching,” said Amy Jo Miller, director of marketing and communications for the CSU Alumni Association. “The intention behind it was to give the campus community an easy way to engage and be a part of Homecoming before things really got into the thick of things into the weekend.”

Homecoming weekend, which is coming back into full swing after two years of cancellations and modifications due to COVID-19, will have new emphasis on community engagement, Miller said.

“Homecoming is just a chance to welcome everyone home and to bring generations of Rams back together,” Miller said. “It’s really a chance to showcase all of CSU’s growth but at the same time the tradition and the roots and the history that always stays the same.”

CSU’s first Homecoming took place in 1914, dubbed an “alumni reunion” by then-President Charles A. Lory. Since then, certain traditions like the football game, the lighting of the A, bonfires and notable alumni acknowledgment have been added to the annual lineup of events.

 “People will come back after two decades, and there will be a lot that’s changed, but there’s also so much that stays the same. I think that’s what’s really special about this place.” –Amy Jo Miller, CSU Alumni Association director of marketing and communications

Miller and the Alumni Association are hoping the Homecoming & Family Weekend Kickoff will become one of the mainstay events the community will have to look forward to every year.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity to bring together Rams from all walks of life and be able to reengage the Ram Pride and the green and gold community that comes with everything that homecoming is about,” Miller said. “I think this event specifically is just a really easy, low-key way (to) kick things off; it’s going to have that quintessential CSU down-home feeling.”

Canvas Stadium, which was constructed in 2017 and houses the Iris & Michael Smith Alumni Center and the Old Main bell, has become a centerpiece for alumni activities. Miller hopes the kickoff event will allow students and families to engage with Canvas Stadium in a more up-close-and-personal way.

“I think that unless you’re directly involved with athletics, this kind of access isn’t always available,” Miller said. “We’re excited to offer that opportunity for people to come out and get down on the field.”

Ultimately, Miller and the Alumni Association hope the Homecoming & Family Weekend Kickoff will continue to enhance campus traditions and unite generations of both former and current Rams and their families.

“People will come back after two decades, and there will be a lot that’s changed, but there’s also so much that stays the same,” Miller said. “I think that’s what’s really special about this place.”

Reach Allie Seibel at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @allie_seibel_.