With no rest for the NBA weary during the time of COVID-19, the2021-22 regular season schedulewas released last week. Training camp begins in a month and it’s less than two months until the Utah Jazz open their regular season at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder and face former Jazzman Derrick Favors on October 20.
With that in mind, let’s take a deeper look at the who, when and where of the Jazz schedule to see how it shakes out. Why, you ask? Aren’t all schedules essentially the same in terms of opponents? Not really, is the simple answer. There are a variety of factors that go into determining the strength of the schedule. Back-to-backs, travel across multiple time zones and an unbalanced schedule are a few of the factors that determine how hard a team’s schedule is.
26 national TV games, up from nine last season, gives Utah the tenth most national appearances league wide. Utah will play 13 back to backs, one fewer than the league’s average of 14 back to backs per team. 10 times the Jazz will enter play with a rest advantage over their opponent, while playing nine times with a rest disadvantage. Additionally, Utah could benefit from the unbalanced schedule as they will face 2021 playoff teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies three times instead of the customary four games for in-conference opponents.
Two six-game homestands, Dec. 15-25 & Feb. 2-14 give the Jazz great opportunities to sleep in their own beds for several days and serve as a type of respite from the constant travel associated with NBA play.
A single six game road trip could serve as one of the most difficult stretches of the season as Utah will see six playoff-likely teams over the course of 10 days. Not only will the competition be stiff during this stretch, but the travel will be onerous. The trip begins in New York and finishes in LA, with stops in Boston, Charlotte and Dallas along the way. Perhaps the only saving grace of this trip is that Utah gets to travel east to west, gaining hours across time zones. Otherwise, this is simply a nasty trip.
If you’re a fan of holidays and basketball, this is the year for you. The Jazz claimed one of the coveted Christmas Day spots, taking on the Dallas Mavericks in the final game of a five game slate that has become the NBA’s regular season marquee event. Utah will also play on Halloween at the Milwaukee Bucks with home games on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will see the Jazz in LA facing the new-look Lakers for the first time.
Utah finishes the 2021-22 regular season in Portland on April 10.
The 2022 NBA All-Star break is a full week this season, Feb. 17-24. Though if the Jazz play anywhere near last season’s level, you can expect another 2-3 All-Stars taking their talents to Cleveland to participate in the festivities.
Another interesting note, though not unexpected, the league voted to continue the Play-In Tournament that was so successful last season. The tournament is scheduled for April 12-15 with the playoffs beginning April 16.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is slated for June 2 with a possible Game 7 to take place on June 19.
UH Libraries expand services to students as UH community returns in person. | File photo
The days of merely empty wings are over. With many students returning for in-person classes this semester, UH Libraries are expanding the services they’re opening back up to students.
M.D. Anderson Library reopened Fall 2020 with limited services available for students in person, offering support for distance education to help students taking online courses from their homes.
The library had capacity limits along with restrictions of students to the first three floors of the building.
Desktop computers, printing and book checkout were among some of the only services available to in-person students, technology and group study rooms unavailable.
With the University transitioning back to full operations, library services are able to operate similarly to prior to the coronavirus.
“Students should expect every available service and resource as they are accustomed, including the computer labs, group study rooms, printing and the audio and video studios,” said UH Libraries communications director Esmerelda Fisher.
There aren’t any capacity rules limiting the number of students within the library at any given time, however, students are still encouraged to take precautionary measures by the University, which includes wearing face coverings and practicing good hygiene.
“As a reminder, the University strongly encourages everyone to wear masks in public indoor settings, including M.D. Anderson Library, Architecture, Design and Art Library, Health Sciences Library and Music Library,” Fisher said.
Although other public areas of the M.D. Anderson Library are accessible to students, they won’t be able to access the Blue Wing on floors 5, 7 and 8 due to construction that will end later in the fall semester, according to Fisher.
For better safety and accessibility, turnstiles were installed in May 2020 and will remain at the main entrance of M.D. Anderson Library. For a more speedy entrance into the library, students will need to swipe or tap their Cougar Card on the turnstiles for entry.
Students who don’t have a physical card will have a dedicated lane to gain access to the library, where they can display their ID from the UH Go app.
“We strongly recommend that students obtain a physical Cougar Card as there may be times during the semester when card access will be the only option for entry,” Fisher said. “In addition, the Cougar Card serves as your library card for book and material checkout and allows you to release print jobs from the library’s printers.”
Library hours are anticipated to remain the same throughout the semester, according to Fisher.
The M.D. Anderson Library will be open Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until midnight, Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The 24-hour lounge attached to the M.D. Anderson Library will be available to students throughout the semester.
More detailed information regarding UH Libraries’ services and hours can be found on their website.
Knapp and Byers worked closely together on the set of the short film “Hives,” which Knapp directed. (Photo courtesy of Graham Byers.)
When Carolyn “Caro” Knapp was five, her parents entered her into a mock film festival. The first film she entered followed the journey of a fairy princess played by Knapp herself. The entry would launch a series of productions that would continue throughout her elementary school career. With each work, Knapp grew more fond of story-telling, expanding the magnitude of the production by increasingly involving friends and family. By the time she entered middle school, Knapp knew she wanted to be a director.
Fast forward to 2020, Knapp embarked on another creative mission — becoming an animator. Now, in 2021 as a USC senior, she’s reaping the benefits.
Knapp’s experiences in quarantine did look a bit like everyone else’s — she fully converted from a TikTok skeptic to a video creator on the platform. She grew a quick appreciation for Olivia Rodrigo, albeit for her own, cooler reasons. And while quarantining at home in Southern California, the cinema and media studies major enlisted her brother’s help in learning animation.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Knapp spent most of her sophomore year video-graphing concerts for Universal Music Group’s internal content team, °1824. When quarantine upended that role, her only solution was to pivot to a medium that could be completed remotely — something that the versatile artist — painter, writer, ceramicist, filmmaker — didn’t find very difficult to do.
“I had a really strong 2D art background and a really strong film background, so it made sense to combine those things,” Knapp said. “It was a really unique opportunity because I knew that, [through °1824], I was going to get paid to try it.”
Through °1824, she took on animation projects for Fergie and — most famously — Olivia Rodrigo. She also designed Tinder billboards through her own freelance efforts.
While Knapp is most known for these larger projects, her major entry into the world of animation was through a visualizer for Maya B’s “Sink” in June 2020. The lesser-known video caught the eyes of Fergie’s team who reached out to Knapp to work on an animated visualizer for her song, “London Bridge.”
“That was really a turning point for me because that was when I started working with a lot bigger artists,” Knapp said.
One of those bigger artists was rising pop-princess Olivia Rodrigo who Knapp had the opportunity to design Spotify canvases — the looping images that play as you stream a song — for her “Sour” album. She shared the assignment with Chapman graduate Anya Salmen, her colleague at °1824.
Before Salmen joined °1824, the two contacted each other on TikTok. After a few FaceTimes, they realized just how compatible they were as creators.
“We had followed each other on Instagram before I even joined °1824. Before I was officially hired, I actually reached out to her and we FaceTimed and totally clicked,” Salmen said. “We have super similar styles. She had found me on TikTok, and I had just seen her collages and stuff.”
The pair’s styles were eerily compatible with Rodrigo’s artistic vision. It was a no-brainer that the duo would take on her projects together.
“We had the crazy opportunity to pitch a few ideas to her management, and they ended up getting picked up,” Salmen said. “Since then we’ve been able to do a bunch of stuff with her … [Knapp] is my favorite person to work with on the team because … we work together super well.”
Salmen and Knapp’s close friend Graham Byers both attest to Knapp’s ability to complete the toughest jobs efficiently. Whether she’s with her animating partner or on-set, Knapp’s work ethic bleeds into her partners’ morale.
“The films we’ve worked on together have been so run-and-gun and so tight that it’s actually bred some really interesting work habits,” Byers, a senior majoring in film and television production, said. “I feel like I’ve become much more efficient as a director of photography because of it.”
Still, Knapp doesn’t believe in tunnel vision levels of isolation to accomplish these feats. Her work reflects her attention to the world around her, whether it’s a personal project or an assignment.
The Spotify canvases Knapp and Salmen produced are the perfect example of the pair’s roots in collage work and Knapp’s inspiration by her household items and textures around her. The canvas for “1 step forward, 3 steps back” features Knapp’s own beat-up converse. The visual artist searched through her room for a pair of high school sneakers that she then wrote on and scanned for the visuals, according to Buyers.
“I’ll scan or take photos of my clothes and different textures that I find places,” Knapp said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, that would make a good texture.’ Then I’ll cut objects and shapes and stuff out of those textures, which creates a really unique depth full style.”
Knapp stayed most true to this process for Fergie’s “London Bridge” video in which every visual was physically scanned by Knapp, resulting in the layered images we see on screen.
Shortly after the drop of the Fergie video, a work much more personal to Knapp gained recognition — her short film, “Cherry Bomb.” Principal character Georgie struggles to prove her sexuality after already coming out, and the narrative is largely inspired by Knapp’s own experiences as a freshman living in the “very heteronormative” freshman dorm, New North Residential College.
“Exiting that environment the summer after my freshman year, I had a whole other self-identity crisis,” Knapp, who identifies as bisexual, said.
After wrapping “Cherry Bomb,” Knapp decided to post a clip of the film on TikTok. The short video was embraced by thousands of LGBTQ+ people who resonated with her story.
“‘Cherry Bomb’ ended up coming out in October 2020, and I was able to promote that on TikTok using queer TikTok, which is something I never thought that I would ever get into at all,” Knapp said. “I used to be such a big TikTok hater. But that gave me a pretty good platform for [promoting the film].”
The mere ten seconds of “Cherry Bomb’s” unfinished cut was enough to launch the short into virality. The clip now has over 200,000 likes with many users returning to compliment the cinematography and lighting after watching the finished cut.
“It wasn’t even a trailer yet. I just took the first 10 seconds,” Knapp said. “It was just myself on the green screen being like, ‘Hey, I’m a young director … this is the first 10 seconds of my short film.’ And it just started going. I don’t know how or why.”
While promotion is an important part of Knapp’s success, the quality of her projects is largely due to her work ethic, dedication to character building and collaborative spirit.
Her narratives reflect a commitment to in-depth character study, and her on-set persona isn’t just vibrant and warm but systematic.
When asked why she got into filmmaking, she said “because of the characters.” Knapp is not just speaking of the boldened names on a screenplay. Those are important and very real to her, but her heart lies with the people she brings to set.
Whether it’s a fairytale written in childhood, a vulnerable exploration of self-identity or a pop-princess’s album work, Knapp has mastered bringing characters to life, no matter the medium. Much of it is simply about learning from the supporters championing your work, but the rest is realizing that people are not just the words they speak or the past that shapes them. They’re the community that provides a home for them, the doodles lazily drawn and redrawn in their notebooks, even the worn-out shoes in the corner of their closet. With this foundation, the jack-of-all-trades, is ready to conquer the film industry with bona fide multimedia experience.
“I’m very much an ideas-person and a [leader]. That’s where I thrive,” said Knapp. “Working alone in a room at my computer, that’s not a sustainable career for me. That’s what I’ve learned in quarantine. But I’m thankful that I’m in this place where, now, I can do both, so that in the future, I have that experience so that I can do anything and combine all the different mediums.”
As students start coming back to campus after over a year, safety remains a concern amongst the university community.
UH saw over thirty thefts and about eight cases of harassment over the summer as of Aug. 21.
“Campus safety could definitely be improved,” said marketing senior Nina Joseph. “I mean the amount of people I know who have gotten their cars broken into in one year should not be that common.”
While not as common over the summer, UHPD reported eight burglaries of a vehicle.
Joseph added her friends that are UH students will often opt for garage parking, or lots closer to campus because of fear of their cars being broken into.
Although in 2013, the Third Ward was voted as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the U.S. UH’s crime rate is historically lower than other parts of the city.
Students who have been on campus before the pandemic have simple tips and tricks they recommend for staying safe.
“I would always recommend not to leave valuables in the car such as laptops and phones,” Joseph said. “Taking a cougar ride or asking for a security escort when walking at night has helped too.”
“I think newcomers can stay safe by looking around when you’re walking and not traveling alone at night. I’ve stayed safe on campus by just using my head,” psychology senior Samuel Osemwingie said. “When I need to leave late, I make sure I have a friend with me to walk to my car.”
“I think just a good rule of thumb is just like any campus, no matter what campus it is – especially as a girl – when you’re on campus after dark, it just helps to have somebody else around,” psychology senior Nili Patel said.
Patel adds planning your schedule ahead helps you avoid staying on campus alone too late.
“If you can, don’t take classes after 6 P.M. (and) try to be back at your dorm or car before the sun goes down,” Patel said. “I say visit your classes and get used to where they are so that you have a set path to take every day.”
UHPD recommends reporting crimes as you see them occur, or when they happen to you. The staff is there 24 hours and seven days a week to assist, according to crime prevention coordinator Sergeant Dina Padovan.
“UHPD responds to incidents on campus, therefore we recommend that you save our dispatch number in your phone,” Padovan said. “Our campus community works together to keep our campus safe, so if you see something, say something. We encourage you to report suspicious activity to our dispatch center.”
Consumer choice advocacy is not effective in creating systemic change. Hyperawareness of the personal choices we have as consumers leave little room for the consideration of the far more consequential effects of institutions on communities, animals and the planet. Consumers certainly have options at the store but often lack the ability to force the most impactful industries to actually cease their destruction. Instead, as illustrated by progressive movements throughout history, targeted direct action campaigns, including acts of civil disobedience, are the most effective choices that a movement can make.
In June 2019, members of Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, were taught this harsh lesson at a California factory duck farm with 600 other activists. Dozens of SWAT and riot police surrounded our group and multiple police helicopters circled overhead. DxE had gathered there to demand that our investigations of the industrial farm — which uncovered illegal and inhumane conditions — be recognized and acted upon by law enforcement after months of reporting the facility. We exercised our right, afforded to us under California statute 597e, to remove some of the animals suffering acutely. We rescued more than 20 ducklings, but instead of charging the farm with documented infractions, 80 activists were arrested and many were charged with multiple felonies that still await trial today. That day marked the culmination of the Animal Liberation Conference, or ALC, an annual gathering that brings together thousands of activists for training, speeches and massive direct action and civil disobedience demonstrations.
Big money agriculture lobbyists have seen how effective community members can be at exposing the conditions on factory farms and subsequently passed backdoor legislation to repress us. The California Farm Bureau Federation paid off a state senator to slip pro-industry wording that functionally nullified 597e into an unrelated bill, thus limiting every Californian’s ability to act on their morals and save animals from extreme cruelty. Instead of making abuse in agriculture illegal, legislation made it illegal to rescue an animal suffering to death right in front of your eyes. But DxE is not discouraged. We know that nothing can stop the momentum we have already created and will be exponentially increasing our efforts this September.
From Sept. 24 to 30, DxE is bringing hundreds of the most dedicated and talented activists from around the world to enact targeted campaigns against one of the most destructive and powerful industries today. World-renowned whistleblower Chelsea Manning and gay rights movement icon Evan Wolfson are scheduled to speak, and other professional leaders will hold trainings. Hundreds of activists will march to demand that the state legislature take immediate, drastic action to curtail the effects that factory farms have on animals and the planet, just as we have done in the past. Each consumer has too small a voice for any large industry to really hear and it is only in mobilizing entire communities under one goal that people can really make an impact.
Because of DxE’s local and statewide influence, Berkeley has become the first city in the United States to commit to entirely plant-based food purchases, and in 2019, California banned the production and sale of fur. However, California still has a long way to go. The state is the second-largest contributor of methane production from agriculture in the nation and has become a battleground over the future of food. Despite progressive attitudes, California still invests hundreds of millions of dollars into industrial animal agriculture, while thousands of people organize their city governments to push back on the state’s inaction.
ALC 2021 will escalate its actions against factory farming in direct response to government inaction on the climate crisis and animal cruelty. State officials have not moved to address the strong link between animal agriculture and climate crisis, a step activists are demanding they take. Despite claiming that the recent, worsening fires are “a climate damn emergency,” Gov. Gavin Newsom has consistently failed to address California’s factory farms as a major source of climate change. Newsom has also failed to address factory farming as a factor in California’s worsening drought. Millions of animals also languish and suffer to death on California’s factory farms, despite minor welfare protections granted them by Proposition 12.
In 2019, the United Nations published a shocking report that the world has only 11 years left to stop irreversible damage from global warming. That was before COVID-19 killed millions of people and brought global infrastructure to a grinding halt. As we rapidly approach the likelihood of another quarantine, we have very little time to take action together and in-person to protect the future of our planet. We must act now.
Empowering people to take targeted direct action against destructive institutions is the most effective tactic we have to change the world in the time we have left. We no longer have the luxury of politeness or convenience. We must act swiftly and boldly and use the history of the most successful, most efficient progressive movements to guide us. It is only through the power of collective direct action can communities shut down the institutions that uphold industrial agriculture, before time runs out for the planet and for the animals.
Tania Campos Suarez is an organizer with Direct Action Everywhere. Contact the opinion desk at opinion@dailycal.org or follow us on Twitter @dailycalopinion.
University of Utah Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life Jess Turuc sent out a somewhat reassuring letter to concerned parents of potential members. She spoke of “community service,” “home-away-from-home” and “enhanced education.” At face value, who wouldn’t jump on this train? These ideals, along with others just as virtuous, seemingly come built into the Greek life experience. This greatly contrasts the portrayal of Greek life by Hollywood, which makes it out to be an institution for harmless partying and mediocre academics.
In reality, Greek life doesn’t fit either of these descriptions. Behind the masks of fraternities and sororities lurks deep flaws, such as alcoholism, sexual abuse and violence, mixed with haphazard philanthropy and promises of friendship. The University of Utah fails to properly address these issues and inform its students on the dangers of joining Greek life.
Although Hollywood misrepresents many things, they often get one thing correct — Greek life loves to party. Although the U is not considered a big party school, a plurality of people agree that they can easily find a frat party on any given weekend. Gatherings even took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which speaks volumes about the priorities of these organizations. Certain major issues weave throughout the Greek life system and parties represent most of them.
Most notably, alcohol abuse runs rampant in Greek life. Around 50% of fraternity members display symptoms of alcohol addiction during young adulthood. There’s also a trend between Greek life membership and rates of binge drinking later in life.
Aside from that, sexual assault and rape within Greek life are terrifying. Utah’s rising rates of sexual assault trend similarly to national data. Women in Greek life are almost twice as likely to indicate they have been sexually assaulted, and men in Greek life commit sexual crimes at a significantly higher rate than other men in college.
Greek life has also been associated with other acts of violence. For example, the U’s chapter of Sigma Chi went on a drunken tirade through Utah’s Hogle Zoo. A member even pulled a knife on a staff member, completely embarrassing the U community. People have also claimed that Greek life consistently exhibits racist, classist and exclusionary practices, which reveal even deeper flaws in Greek life.
I’ve often heard people argue in favor of keeping Greek life because of philanthropic pursuits, which has some merit.
Sigma Chi, whose Beta Epsilon chapter dwells at the U, recently announced a $20 million pledge to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Alpha Chi Omega, which has a chapter on the hill, consistently raises money for domestic violence survivors and awareness.
As fantastic as these endeavors are, they don’t cover for the horrifying acts committed by these organizations. This especially holds true when alcohol abuse is encouraged within philanthropy. For instance, Sigma Chi promoted “rage cage,” a game that often involves heavy drinking, as a competition for a fundraising event.
U of U fraternities and sororities also promise networking and close friendships. However, these “close friendships” can come with costs. While living on campus my freshman year, I saw far too many freshman members drunkenly stumble back to the dorms after a night on Greek row. I saw friendships and relationships get ruined and I saw people make choices they probably never would have made before.
Junior and senior members almost always encouraged this kind of behavior. According to NYU, many of these organizations actively normalize this type of addictive behavior. So, while the benefits of joining a fraternity or sorority exist, the negatives cast a dark shadow that cannot be ignored.
All these problems with Greek life lie within the culture of disrespect and violence that’s embedded in the community. That culture most likely won’t change anytime soon. While I sincerely hope Greek life improves, the U and its students must stop supporting a broken system. These organizations get thousands from each member, along with paid supporting staff from the university, some of whom making more than $100,000 in salary. Why should a system seemingly incapable of change get our financial support?
Greek life can provide many opportunities. However, those benefits often hide the underlying issues that plague fraternities and sororities not just in Utah, but nationwide. Greek life can be a dangerous system that leads vulnerable young adults into destructive life paths at an extraordinary rate. Prospective and current students: don’t fall for the masks that Greek life puts up. Instead, uphold university and common-sense principles and dissociate with Greek life at the U.
Where does your vaccination status matter on campus?
Georgia Southern University does not currently require a mask on the majority of the campus for those who are vaccinated, except when on campus shuttle buses and in the Health Center.
According to USG institutions, students may “be required by off-campus partnering organizations to wear masks and/or be vaccinated as a condition of participation in experimental learning opportunities such as study abroad programs, externships, and delivery of medical services.”
Where can you be prepared to be asked about your vaccination status?
Medical providers may use your vaccination information in accordance with contact tracing. Providing proof of vaccination gets you out of quarantine.
USG institutions also released that “Medical providers may use a patient’s COVID-19 vaccination status as they would normally under the typical standard of care. Consistent with the normal standard of care, medical care providers may ask for proof of COVID-19 vaccination in treating patients.”
Does HIPAA protect me from being asked?
HIPAA is defined by the CDC as “a federal law that requires the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.” Thus meaning HIPAA is mostly only used within healthcare settings with a few exceptions. To find a detailed list of what information is protected, who is required under HIPAA, and who isn’t, click here Your Rights Under HIPAA .
In compliance with GS guidelines, “students should not be asked about their vaccination status.”
If vaccinated and exposed, do you need to quarantine?
Per guidance of the Georgia Department of Health, ‘individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 and are not showing symptoms will not be required to quarantine.’
Is vaccination status required on campus jobs?
In accordance with Georgia Southern’s guidance, “All faculty, staff and students are strongly encouraged to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. No student, faculty, or staff member should be treated differently based on their COVID-19 vaccination status.” ‘Those fully vaccinated are not required to wear masks or socially distance on campus, but those unvaccinated are strongly encouraged to.’
As Georgia Southern now enters its third week of fall semester, students are still being encouraged to become vaccinated, and to take proper distancing measures. As of right now, there are no requirements for students to wear face coverings, become vaccinated or social distance within classroom settings or around campus. Georgia Southern University continues to offer on campus vaccinations as well as COVID testing and information. Those resources can be accessed at COVID Testing Information and COVID Vaccine Information. Off-campus COVID vaccinations and testing locations can be located through Find COVID Vaccine and Find a Health Center .
Following NASA’s budget approval, UC Berkeley scientists and engineers prepare to launch twin satellites from the EscaPADE mission into orbit around Mars to study real-time effects of solar activity.
A UC Berkeley-led team of scientists and engineers is one step closer to sending two satellites to Mars, following a key milestone approval from NASA on Aug. 17.
The Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, or EscaPADE, mission will launch the twin satellites into orbit around Mars to explore the impact of solar winds on the planet’s atmosphere. NASA’s recent approval cleared the way for the team to start final designs and assembly for a 2024 launch, according to principal investigator Robert Lillis.
“Scientifically, one of the really important things that EscaPADE is doing is that it’s bridging a big gap between heliophysics, or the science of the sun, as well as planetary physics, which is in this case the planet Mars,” said project scientist Shannon Curry. “One of the things we’re looking at very carefully is exactly how the sun affects the atmosphere and the response of the atmosphere to the sun.”
The twin spacecrafts in the EscaPADE mission are essential in capturing the real-time effects of solar activity, since one can be in the solar wind and the other in the atmosphere, according to Lillis. This essentially allows scientists to simultaneously understand the cause and effect of solar wind on the atmosphere.
EscaPADE is one of the winning projects selected for NASA’s new Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration, or SIMPLEx, program. With a budget of about $55 million, the EscaPADE project is around one-tenth of traditional NASA budgets.
“NASA thought, ‘Can we get way better bang for our buck, like can we get way more science per dollar, if we’re willing to accept a higher risk of failure,’” Lillis said. “EscaPADE and two other missions … we’re the three guinea pigs for NASA to see whether this approach is actually a legit way of getting far more science for a much lower cost.”
The recent approval released about $42 million of the $55 million budget to fund the final designs and assembly phase before launch. While UC Berkeley is the managing institution where most of the instruments and science are being developed for the mission, it also has four main partners: Rocket Lab, UCLA, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Advanced Space for various project components.
NASA’s approval comes after five years of work for the project and many obstacles. While the satellites were originally intended to launch aboard the Psyche rocket in October 2022, logistical changes caused NASA to find an alternative rocket for EscaPADE by February 2022.
“We had to do so much redesign,” Lillis said. “To get to this point for our new design and our new team to be validated by NASA gives us a big vote of confidence. That just felt really good for me and for the whole team; we’re really excited.”
Cindy Liu is an academics and administration reporter. Contact her at cindyliu@dailycal.org, and follow her on Twitter at @_CindyLiu_.
The rise in coronavirus cases coincides with a declining positivity rate and increased population testing. (Daily Trojan file photo)
Coronavirus cases increased slightly and positivity rates decreased as students returned to campus, Chief Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman said in a student media briefing Thursday. The decreased rate coincides with increased population testing, mandated by USC once a week for vaccinated students and twice a week for unvaccinated students.
Of the 10,000 administered tests to USC’s student population from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, 42 tested positive. The week before, 44 cases appeared from the more than 6,000 tests.
“[The testing numbers are] actually a really good thing from a public health standpoint,” Van Orman said. “We’re catching cases, but we’re not seeing a rapid increase in positivity. And we want to find those cases before school [begins].”
The University’s coronavirus case models — created by Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences David V. Conti — suggest that the “peak of cases will be about 14 days after people return,” when there could be 40 to 50 cases a day, Van Orman said. The maximum number of students in isolation will take place about one month into the semester before numbers are expected to drop.
If the model proves accurate, USC may easecurrent precautions such as weekly testing, Van Orman said.
“We think about it as these layers of protection,” shesaid. “As cases drop, we hope we can kind of peel those back.”
As part of Trojan Check compliance to enter campus by the start of classes Monday, the University previously required the completion of the “Hygiene Health and Safety” module and a negative coronavirus test However, in an email to students Friday, Van Orman announced the deadline’s extension until Friday, Aug. 27.
Students, faculty and staff vaccination numbers also rose slightly: more than 92% of both undergraduate and graduate domestic students — which include students who are U.S. residents and those who are undocumented — 90% for both faculty and staff, 80% of international graduate students and 70% of international undergraduate students are fully vaccinated, Vaccination numbers for the international student population are expected to increase as they continue arriving to the United States.
According to Van Orman, more than six percent of students, faculty and staff are in the process of being fully vaccinated, with 1.3% approved for a medical or religious exemption and 3.3% who lack compliance with the policy — unvaccinated people without an exemption. Non-compliant students will be unable to access campus and have holds on their registrations; non-compliant faculty and staff will be restricted from campus access and have been contacted by the University.
Van Orman confirmed that coronavirus cases have taken place in USC housing, an “expected” development as nearly 10,000 students moved in over the past week. Students living in USC housing who test positive will be quarantined in the USC Hotel;students who test positive outside of University affiliated housing will also have the option to quarantine at the hotel.
If a fully vaccinated student’s roommate tests positive, the student is expected to complete a “modified quarantine,” Van Orman said, where the student may go to class but is expected to “be cautious” such as by eating takeout, avoiding gatherings and wearing their mask.
“We want people to be able to continue to go to class and do those things but, just in the event there were to be exposure, to be a little extra cautious,” Van Orman said.
