Due to legal reasons set forth by the press team of our interviewee’s company, The Triangle is not allowed to release where he works. The Triangle is only allowed to release that our source, Kurt Palumbo, is an infectious diseases physician assistant working in Philadelphia.

Ethan Hermann: Thank you for being willing to discuss your experience with Philadelphia’s defense against COVID-19. It means a lot.

Kurt Palumbo: Thank you again for interviewing me. I am humbled at the opportunity. As always, the answers to your questions are reflective of my own personal opinions and do not reflect those of any one healthcare organization.

EH: As you work in Philadelphia as an infectious diseases physician assistant, what does a “normal” day look like for you? What do you find yourself doing the most for your job?

KP: A “normal” day consists of arriving to my office and following up on any outstanding patient calls, results, or messages from providers/patients from the following day. Once that is all taken care of, I primarily see patients in the outpatient clinic for either half or full days depending on the weekday.

My typical patient population are those recently discharged from the hospital, many of whom are on intravenous antibiotics with a variety of infections. For these visits, I go over their antibiotics and durations of therapy, order any necessary imaging/blood work and provide extensive counseling. In between visits, I occasionally answer patient calls, as well. Most days are fairly busy.

Now, with COVID-19, my volume of patients has decreased. I’m primarily doing telemedicine visits — either by phone or video. Any time away from patients is then spent coordinating and performing COVID-19 testing for health care workers.

EH: In a big city like Philadelphia, the spread of the novel coronavirus can happen rapidly. How do people who live in close quarters or near a lot of other people best manage themselves and protect their fellow residents?

KP: When you look at the data from China, virtually all person-to-person transmissions occurred indoors. With that in mind, social distancing is one of the best ways to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Limiting your exposure to other people will help reduce the chances of transmission.

This is especially important in a place like a grocery store, for example. Aisles are relatively confined and it is quite difficult to maintain six feet of separation when there are multiple people in one aisle. If you notice a lot of people in one aisle, skip it, and go get something else while you wait for the people to leave the aisle.

Masks are also beneficial in a situation like this because they help act as a physical barrier to aerosols, which is important. Aerosols take longer to dilute indoors, especially when compared to outdoors.

EH: When it comes to busting any myths that you’ve heard or read about, what are the truths that you want uninformed or misinformed people to know about the current state of this pandemic?

KP: One myth that particularly troubled me was hearing about people meeting after completing 14 days of self-quarantine, separately. The rationale behind this decision was that if both parties self-isolated, separately, then it would be safe for both groups to meet upon completion of their respective quarantines.

This is simply not true.

Unless both parties were under strict isolation and without any human contact for the 14 days, the risk — while low — is not zero percent. This then ties in to the point that a majority of patients have no infectious symptoms at all. We also do not know how long people remain infectious.

For these reasons, it is imperative that individuals remain diligent in social distancing, even after 14 days.

EH: Philadelphia being so close to New York City, of course, garners worry regarding a lot of cases and deaths. How did the medical systems in Philadelphia prepare for a large amount of cases to occur in the city?

KP: Virtually every healthcare institution in Philadelphia came up with an action plan to deal with the impending influx of patients within the health system. This involved a multi-disciplinary approach spanning both inpatient and outpatient institutions.

Some examples of this planning included establishing drive-thru testing centers, canceling elective procedures, scaling back outpatient clinics, transitioning in-person visits to telemedicine visits, utilizing operating rooms for possible ICU beds and creating designated “COVID” units within the hospital.

I speak for a majority of providers when I say we were shocked at what we saw unfold in New York City, and we wanted to do whatever we could to prevent that from happening here in Philadelphia.

EH: With Philadelphia County having almost 16,000 cases now, what is the current state of affairs regarding Philadelphia’s continuing battle against the novel coronavirus?

KP: Presently, the number of cases in Philadelphia continues to grow each day. About 1,500 new cases are reported each day to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Departments of Health. This has been stable over the last few weeks, which is either indicative of a stable increase in the number of cases, or reflective of our maximum testing capability.

I would like to believe the former, given the percent positive rate for tests has also remained stable over the last few weeks.

EH: What is the one thing that has surprised you most about the pandemic during your time at work? 

KP: This pandemic has forced many of us to get creative when it comes to taking care of our patients. It made me think critically about who really needed blood work, or a CT scan, or an MRI. Of course, sometimes you need those pieces of information to help guide your management, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the number of patients I’ve been able to take care of without these measures.

EH: If you aren’t living alone, do you find yourself a burden or a risk to your family/roommates? How do you balance that consciousness?

I think this is an interesting question. While I live alone, I still find myself to be a burden to my friends and family. The reality is that I am exposed to positive patients on an almost-daily basis.

Although I am asymptomatic currently, I could have contracted the virus during my job (or even outside of work, whether that was on a run or at the grocery store). As such, I refuse to see any of my family members in person.

I have family members who are older than 65 with underlying medical conditions that place them at a higher risk of severe illness, so I am actively avoiding them.

Although it is difficult for them (as well as myself), it is a necessary step, for now.

EH: Millions across the country are calling people in the medical and health professions right now “heroes.“ As someone who is working every day to fight infectious diseases, do you feel that the dubbing of “medical heroes“ glorifies the work and sacrifices being made right now by essential medical personnel?

KP: I have mixed emotions when I hear people call healthcare workers “heroes.” Although our work seems heroic, for many of us, it is simply “another day at the office.” When I graduated PA school, I swore the Hippocratic Oath, which is a medical code of ethics and asks you to treat patients to the best of your ability. For many of us, that sentiment is being tested right now.

We are taking care of sick patients to the best of our ability as we continue to learn about this disease in real-time. We work long hours and sacrifice time with our loved ones. That didn’t change before this pandemic and it won’t change after this pandemic. I don’t particularly find that to be heroic, by any measure, I just see it as a necessary part of the career I chose.

It is a privilege to participate in the health of another human being, and I feel humbled by that, now more than ever.

EH: What’s the happiest thing you’ve been able to witness since the beginning of the shutdown?

KP: As stressful as these last few months have been, I think there has been a real sense of community within our country. A majority of Americans realize their simple acts of self-isolation, mask-wearing and hand-washing have a larger impact on our community as a whole, and that has been a welcome breath of positivity.

Although these acts may feel insignificant at the individual level, they have much more power at a global level.

EH: Anything else you’d like to add, share or comment on?

KP: I would just like to remind everyone that this pandemic has affected people in vastly different ways. Cities like NYC have seen thousands of deaths, whereas some of our suburban cities have seen zero cases. Some people have lost multiple family members to this disease, whereas some people have lost no one.

For myself, these last few weeks have been some of the most stressful days of my entire career, but for some of my friends, this has been nothing more than a forced vacation at home. We all need to remember to take a step back and look at the big picture. Of course, we all want to get back to our normal lives, but we need to make sure we do that safely. It will take time, patience and empathy on all of our parts.

It takes us recognizing the fact that we might need to put our own self-interests aside, if it means stabilizing our country, and moving the pendulum back in the direction of progress.

The fifth annual Feminist Flea Market, curated by House Cat, was taken to a virtual platform on April 30 when over 30 vendors donated their artwork to be auctioned for the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence.

Feminist Flea has been an ongoing event, organized by Rebecca Aronow, that showcases and supports members of the Philadelphia art community who identify as womxn, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming.

In view of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Aronow was worried she would not be able to host Feminist Flea due to COVID closures settling in. In the past, this event was hosted at several locations, including Underground Arts and the Bok center. Nicole Seltzer, who creates the graphic designs for Feminist Flea, pitched the idea of hosting an auction on their Instagram page (@feminist_flea).

With over 4,000 clicks to their Instagram page and every item sold, Aronow was extremely happy with the outcome of the online auction. The auction was up on their Instagram all day, making it as accessible as possible to respect everyone’s schedules.

Aronow reached out to several local businesses and organizations to promote the event, including Drexel’s radio station (WKDU) and well-known South Street bar Tattoo’d Mom. She chose these promoters by paying close attention to businesses and organizations in the area who care and show support for the local art community in Philadelphia.

“To me, it’s really amazing to see how much the community has come together to support each other, and local businesses are supporting each other. Everyone is really trying to help as much as possible,” Aronow said.

Feminist Flea posted homemade prints, ceramics, candles, tea, tote bags, knitted items, vintage pieces, earrings and several other uniquely made items. Aronow said that in total they had 51 items, and selling every one was a big deal.

“I want to find a way to balance supporting the artists and donating for the next time, but everyone was so amazingly kind in what they gave,” Aronow added.

The proceeds from this event were donated to Women Organized Against Rape, which opened in 1971 as one of the first rape crisis centers in America. WOAR offers free therapy to those who have been affected by sexual violence.

In 2019 alone, WOAR took 2,415 support calls, according to a post that was a part of the Feminist Flea promotional artwork.

Aronow is not completely sure of when the next Feminist Flea Market will occur, but she made it clear that the community that the event creates is first and foremost a safe space for artists.

“I want to make it especially clear that it’s a place to support the community, marginalized communities and give people a platform to share their work,” Aronow said.

Aronow also made it a point to shine light on several other organizations that are seeking donations during this time, including the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, Women’s Medical Fund, Project Home and the Philadelphia Sex Workers’ Fund.

If you or someone you know may be experiencing sexual assault, you can call WOAR’s 24-hour hotline at (215) 985-3333. Texting services are also available Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

In spite of social distancing practices, the consolidation of like-minded individuals around important causes seems to be as common as ever. Drexel Student Power Network is a student organization on campus. Its mission is to end social and economic injustices on campus and in Philadelphia, hold those in power accountable for their actions and spread a sense of political activism on campus.

As a progressive group of individuals who fight to bring change to Drexel’s campus through the collective power of its students, the organization held its virtual launch event via Zoom. This year, the event was in collaboration with Philadelphia Jobs with Justice on the project Payments in Lieu of Taxes.

Jobs With Justice Philadelphia is a local organization that seeks to work with labor unions, students and faith communities to promote better working conditions and circumstances for Philly employees. A recording of the event is available on the Jobs with Justice Facebook page.

A variety of speakers were present for the event and shared their insight on the crucial work that this initiative is hoping to accomplish. The list of speakers included Aden, a high school junior at Masterman; Tonya Bah, a parent activist; Keziah Ridgeway, a teacher at Northeast High School and Kendra Brooks, a councilmember-at-large and longtime organizer for education justice.

Each of them provided how their experiences and the broader landscape of Philadelphia — a city with a disproportionate amount of tax-exempt land — has yielded a system wherein many public institutions (especially Philadelphia Public Schools) have suffered.

The discovery of asbestos in the crumbling infrastructure of elementary classrooms, the stagnated salaries of teachers and the lower-than-average amount of funding allocated per student have indicated that finding a solution needs to take priority.

Many other cities have the similar issue of a nonprofit organization as a primary landowner, specifically Princeton (home to Princeton University), New Haven (Yale), and Cambridge (Harvard). These cities have developed a program wherein some of the funds, lost from the taxes that the organization would have paid, are otherwise recouped. Payment-in-lieu-of-taxes allows these entities to essentially pay back a portion of the amount they would have been taxed back to the state without losing their nonprofit status.

The PILOTs program specifically has facilitated this funneling of funds to each of these cities’ public schools, which leaves the question: why Philadelphia has not adopted a similar approach?

What Drexel Student Power Network aims to do is establish a research team that will investigate the extent to which forgone taxes are proving detrimental to the Philadelphia School District. In conjunction with additional teams of parents, students, educators and concerned community members, DSPN and Jobs with Justice are advocating in favor of this PILOTs policy, which will supplement funding for the city’s schools.

If Drexel students are interested in becoming a part of this research or would like to be connected with Jobs with Justice directly, they can reach out to Uswa Mutaal, the president of Drexel Student Power Network.

“My name is Keyuxi, and I go by Summer.”

This is how Summer Zhou, a pre-junior marketing and communications major at Drexel, introduces herself to her peers through email. This is how she must introduce herself to anybody she communicates with over email, and anybody that she wishes to develop a long-term relationship with. During short day-to-day interactions, she goes by Summer. Explaining her name to each person she meets simply takes too much time out of her day.

Zhou is from Anhui, a Chinese province near Shanghai. There, she says, people usually go by their last names, which is common in Asian countries. She would most likely not react or respond to the name Keyuxi, so she is not attached to the name.

She also says that it’s trendy to have an English nickname in Asian countries.

For Zhou, choosing an English name was exciting — she had the freedom to choose a name that she felt suited her. It’s common for people to choose a name from their favorite movie or TV show. While many international students change their name, others use their original names to their advantage. “It makes you stand out — like using yourself as a personal brand,” Zhou said. “They want to have their own authenticity.” In fields like marketing, standing out with a unique name can be a distinct advantage.

Though picking a new name was exciting, Zhou definitely felt pressure to do so.

“There is pressure, absolutely. You want to change your name because nobody gets it right, or they’re never going to know how to spell it. It’s just confusion. Because not everybody is that open and diverse. They will kind of stereotype you or give you an extra look because they have no idea what you said,” Zhou explained.

Some names have very specific pronunciations and are very hard for Western language speakers to pronounce. So, in an effort to make the transition to American life smooth and fit in more easily, many international students choose English names for convenience purposes. It’s hard not to stand out, said Zhou, when you have a foreign name.

While English names are chosen for convenience when adjusting to a new school, they are also chosen to avoid discrimination in hiring. It’s troubling to think that a qualified individual could be turned down for a job because they do not have an English name, but this is a very real concern for people moving to America from other countries.

Zhou said that having an English name to write on a job application gives her a better chance of avoiding discrimination.

Zhou clarified that, while it is important to be educated on the topic of diversity, she understands that languages vary greatly and it can be difficult to pronounce foreign sounds and syllables. The most important thing to keep in mind is respect: “If you can’t pronounce their name, don’t try too hard — don’t treat it as a strange thing. It’s not an alien language. Don’t treat is as a strange name, but adapt to it. If you don’t know, just maybe think of a nickname for that person. Try your best not to embarrass others or yourself,” Zhou said. “Just show respect and be open to learning new things.”

In China, Zhou and her peers learned English from a young age. Though sometimes it is challenging, they are determined to further their learning. Whether it’s “Jack, or Elizabeth, or Timothy, we keep trying because we’re curious,” Zhou explained.

This curiosity and willingness to learn shows respect to international students. “Even though you might not maintain a long-term relationship with your classmates, at least try to remember their names. It’s a pretty respectful thing,” Zhou said.

In a survey of 50 American college students, 90 percent agreed that American students have a responsibility to be educated about other cultures and languages to help ease the pressure international students feel to go by English names. Matt Shults of Burlington County, NJ, added that he hopes that if he studied in another country, the people there would attempt to pronounce his name correctly, and he would show international students the same respect.

“I think the only ‘should’ about it is the question of if someone should have the freedom and uninfluenced ability to make the choice for themselves,” said Christine Doman of Bellmawr, NJ.

Anna Gordover, a first-year communication major at Drexel, shared the same sentiment: “I think that ultimately it’s the student’s choice to go by whatever name they feel more comfortable with, but I also think that as a community we should make an effort to educate ourselves so they don’t feel like they’re obligated to go by an American name.”

Ekaterina Grigoreva was an international student from Russia at Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, NY. She chose to go by the name Kate. “I decided to go by Kate because it’s easier for people in the US and it’s also better for me because my name is not being pronounced incorrectly. It doesn’t offend me or anything, but Kate is just easier. Maybe it’s just some type of trying to adjust and become a part of society” Grigoreva said.

While America is known as a country of diversity, there is a significant lack of education regarding other cultures, countries and languages. As stated by Summer Zhou, English speakers have a privilege — many countries learn the language, and things are often translated into English around the world.

While it can be difficult to learn words with non-native syllables and pronunciations, taking a few minutes to simply learn the names of classmates and acquaintances can go very far. The students previously mentioned have shown that they are ready to take the step. Taking the effort to learn the correct pronunciation of a peer’s name can go a long way in showing respect and acceptance of others.

Picking out a new name can be an exciting experience for international students. However, it is our responsibility to ensure that this decision is made free of pressure to conform or fear of discrimination.

Since our lives were uprooted nearly two months ago, we’ve all settled into different places, time zones and sleep schedules. Despite all these differences, I think we can all agree on one thing: we miss campus. Fall term can’t come fast enough.

While we’re itching to get back to campus, it’s likely that we won’t be returning to “business as usual.” Social distancing seems like something that’s here to stay for a while, which means that some of the things we used to do won’t be the same. Hopefully, some of our favorite parts may stay the same. In order to safely allow students back on campus (regardless of any precautionary measures), widespread rapid testing and adequate isolation rooms must be put in place. That said, here’s a look at what some Drexel landmarks might look like in a socially-distant world:

Dorms: Living spaces at colleges have been in contention over the last few days after the President of Brown University mentioned that traditional shared dorms and bathrooms will not be adequate. Already facing a shortage of dorms, Drexel may not have enough space to house students in singles, which would mean hotel rooms or makeshift dorms. Signing in guests is another privilege that may be debated as school reopens. We could see a policy where guests must have been tested in the past two weeks and remained asymptomatic to be admitted to a residence hall.

Dining Halls: The Handschumacher Dining Center and Urban Eatery are the two main dining halls at Drexel. There are several changes that probably should have been made a while ago to the dining halls. The first change is to the Hans model of buffet-style food service, where food is left in the open air for long periods of time. Getting rid of Hans entirely is unlikely, but the food may be prepackaged in the future. In an ideal world, there would be increased sanitary regulations, but that is unlikely to happen. Urban Eatery will likely stop serving salads and smoothies buffet-style, too.

Lectures: A shared armrest is all that separates a person from their neighbor. At the very least, students may be required to sit multiple seats away from each other to reduce density. However, this would mean that lecture capacity would decrease, calling for an increase in the number of sections. To combat adding more classes, professors may opt to post their lectures online for remote viewing.

Parties: Fraternity parties seem to be a quintessential part of the college experience, and unless the administration can officially stop them, it’s unlikely the dingy basement vibe will change much.

Food Trucks: The food trucks on campus make the Drexel food scene vibrant and lively. As long as social distancing guidelines and sanitation rules are followed, there’s no reason why food trucks should be driven off campus, since they follow a takeout model anyway.

The DAC: Gyms are places where the coronavirus would be likely to spread, since there are people breathing heavily in enclosed, high-traffic areas. Group exercise is also a popular amenity of the DAC that involves dense populations. As a result, we may see a sign-up system for entering the gym area in order to limit the number of people working out at a given time.

It may become a requirement for equipment to be wiped down after each use, which was previously just a recommendation. Group exercise may be discontinued or significantly reduced in size, as well. Regardless, if our campus is functional, the DAC is likely to be open as well, since it generates revenue for Drexel.

The Quad and Volleyball Courts: We may be unable to sit in a six-foot radius of another person, or we may be barred from using those places as socialization spots altogether.

Though Drexel is looking to re-open in the fall, there will almost certainly be changes to the normal way of living.

Over the past couple of news cycles, reports of right-wing lockdown protests have dominated headlines as these gatherings gain national attention and a fair share of criticism in the process. In fact, media coverage on these fringe, astroturf efforts have glided over the fact that a far larger people’s movement is brewing in the U.S. in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

With the impending May 1 rent payment deadline and nearly 26 million recent unemployment claims, tenants across the country are preparing for what may be the largest coordinated nationwide rent strike in nearly a century.

In Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf declared a moratorium on evictions through April, with most claims likely not being processed until June when state courts finally re-open. As PA unemployment compensation claims creep up to two million, it is likely that even more Pennsylvanians will be unable to make rent this month.

Wolf’s eviction moratorium is only a temporary fix to the profound economic instability Americans are facing during this crisis. In around a month’s time, tenant unions and various organizations have partnered to collectively denounce the expectation of rent payments nationwide, beginning with a rent strike on May 1.

In Philadelphia, some of these organizing efforts have already materialized through a “Cancel the Rent” protest, organized by the Philadelphia Tenants Union and the Party of Socialism and Liberation among others. On Saturday, April 25, this event dominated the Ben Franklin Parkway as droves of cars, labeled with posters saying “cancel rent,” demanded rent payments be frozen through the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.

“People [who] have lost their jobs [and] don’t have the money now, they’re not going to have it three months worth later down the line,” commented Lia Ferrante from the Party of Socialism and Liberation in an interview with CBS Philly.

Through direct action and grassroots organizing, the PTU has additionally spearheaded other long-term efforts for citywide rent strikes. The union has been helping neighboring tenants get in contact with each other to create and organize collective demands to present to their landlord.

According to the PTU’s official statement regarding the strikes, they urge Governor Wolf and state officials to “cancel rent and mortgage payments for six months, with no debt accrued and no back pay required,” as well as “enforce rent and mortgage forgiveness for missed payments starting from March.”

The more specific demands for Mayor Kenney and City Council include:

1. Make all eviction filing, evictions, and foreclosures illegal for at least six months.
2. Freeze rent rates at the current level for a year beyond the end of the crisis.
3. Enforce comprehensive rent control.
4. Take immediate action to provide housing for the houseless people of Philadelphia.
5. Build city-funded public housing that will meet the city’s needs.

The PTU implores tenants who have not been able to successfully negotiate a deal with their landlords to withhold payments, a pressure tactic against the city and state government for not properly handling the housing crisis. They additionally encourage even tenants who can afford to pay rent to strike in solidarity with their fellow neighbors.

One Drexel student organization has long been partnered with the tenants union to mobilize Drexel students and is now assisting with the citywide organizing efforts. “As Drexel Socialists/Student Tenant Union is a child organization of Philly Socialists and a sister organization of the Philadelphia Tenants Union (PTU), we stand in solidarity with their vote to call for a citywide rent strike,” stated Drexel Socialists representative Noah Cote.

The student organization denounces the eviction moratorium, stating it is not enough to protect the millions of people out of work at the moment.

Fully embracing PTU’s call to action, Drexel Socialists are imploring local, state and national legislatures to provide relief to tenants. “Drexel Socialists/Student Tenants Union will be working with the PTU to provide organizing support, fundraising efforts for the Rent Strike Fund, and will be participating in the Emergency Anti-Eviction Task Force,” Cote said regarding the organization’s future plans.

The aftermath of the nationwide rent strike, organized by groups like the Philly Tenants Union, will largely determine the legislative steps in the months to follow. Progressive politicians, such as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), have already introduced legislation to combat the rent crisis through the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act. The RMC Act would effectively cancel rent and mortgage payments for the entire country throughout the duration of the crisis.

However, given the nature of the previous federal relief packages, it is unlikely that the federal government will follow suit with a rent bailout anytime soon.

Nevertheless, the May 1 strike is ultimately only the beginning of a growing movement to not only win rent cancellation now but also to help tenants defend themselves from future evictions in the late summer and fall.

In spite of everything being shut down on campus, the Drexel Counseling Center continues providing services — including teletherapy — through the pandemic and the online academic terms that lie ahead. Appointments can be scheduled on weekdays during normal business hours.

The Counseling Center also offers online workshops, mindfulness exercises and other coping mechanisms for the current COVID-19 situation. Some ways to connect to others include a free online depression support group through the Livewell Foundation and 7 Cups of Tea, an online service providing emotional support for non-crisis issues.

The extreme adjustment to online learning and/or working for Drexel students is difficult, and the Counseling Center recognizes this. Drexel Counseling services are free of charge to all Drexel students (including co-op and graduate students) and are staffed with professionals.

Their services are confidential. Normally located on the second floor of Creese (University City campus) and third floor of Bellet Building (Center City campus) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the counseling services continue to offer many valuable resources for Drexel students.

For teletherapy services, the counseling center can be reached via phone or through email (counseling@drexel.edu). More information can be found on their website, including FAQs about Drexel’s services and counseling in general.

For current crises, Drexel offers an on-call counselor and can direct you to a referral for off-campus counseling through its caseworker.

As always, if you are experiencing a psychological emergency and you require immediate attention, please dial 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.

When Alexandra George began her freshman year at Drexel, she was eager to get involved in as many clubs and activities as she could. In high school, she was extremely involved; she planned to continue being an active student in college as well.

George had always had a deep desire to help people — a simple goal with infinite possibilities. She bounced around ideas of working in law, criminal justice and physical therapy, but ultimately settled on broadcast journalism. “Part of the reason I wanted to go into journalism specifically is because I had all of these big ideas about what I wanted to do,” she said. However, she wanted to do more than just report the news — her vision for herself was “not necessarily what you see on cable news.”

George was eager to dive into the field of broadcast journalism, but she found that getting involved was a bigger challenge than she had anticipated. That year, Drexel ended its television program. It seemed like there was nothing Drexel offered for students in her field.

It was during the fall of her sophomore year when she had a fortunate encounter in a TV Production class called DNEWS. Her professor, Andrew Altrichter, encouraged students to contact him if they wanted to produce content. George followed up immediately and, after months of hard work and planning, is the creator and host of “Inside Ambition” on Drexel University Television.

Although she had a lucky opportunity, George worried about the students who didn’t have the same drive to get involved as she did — students who were waiting for opportunities to come to them.

“I really believe that there is a space at Drexel where there’s a huge disconnect. Students are constantly complaining that there’s no school spirit, or that they don’t really know what’s going on with the administration,” George said.

She explained that, all too often, students are completely unaware of the clubs and groups that are available to them: “That’s a huge, huge theme at Drexel. And any student you talk to is completely aware of it.”

Many students chalk the lack of community at Drexel up to students being away on co-op or studying abroad, but there is always a student body present at Drexel. “You can still establish community,” she said, “I just don’t think that’s been found at Drexel yet. This is something that has bothered me for a while.”

The perceived lack of opportunity in George’s field was extremely discouraging for a while. She joined the Student Government in order to do what she could to give Drexel more student spirit, but she wanted to do more in her field. By creating “Inside Ambition,” George refused to be defeated by the lack of clubs and activities and set out to create her own opportunities.

With this new platform, she hopes to help others do the same.

“I really hope that this show can be a space for students to connect and relate to one another and know about what’s happening on campus and that’s what really pushed me,” she said. Helping other students become more involved and connected is her motivating factor; she hopes to help others who are having feelings of disconnect like she was her freshman year: “If I know that this is best for the student body, I’m going to work that much harder to get something to fruition.”

John Oliver and Samantha Bee are two of her biggest role models; she is inspired by the way they mix comedy and news in a way that makes people want to listen.

This is crucial to getting people to pay attention to important issues: “Nobody wants to pay attention unless there’s something in it for them,” she said.

In addition to contributing to a more engaged and connected Drexel community, George has a deep desire to tell stories. “I love the idea of helping others to share their stories. That in itself can help people — just raising awareness,” she said. “So many problems in this world are due to ignorance, misinformation, or just not knowing what’s going on. But when people know what’s going on, it’s really hard not to care.”

Her passion for storytelling paired with her talent for speaking inspired her to take the leap and create something meaningful, impactful and long-lasting.

She hopes to use her talent to bring awareness to important issues and give students a voice. “Whatever you want to learn about, whatever you want to talk about, come to us and we will find more information and we’ll tell people about it. You have a problem going on? Tell us and we’ll talk about it,” George said. “I want people to feel like this is their outlet.”

Since creating “Inside Ambition,” George has learned that opportunity is out there — sometimes it’s just harder to find. “I think something that’s really great about Drexel is you can do whatever you want to do here. Even if no one else has done what you’re doing, there’s still an opportunity to create it yourself,” she said. George encourages any students who want to get involved — in broadcast journalism or in other areas — to reach out to her at amg566@drexel.edu so she can help get students connected.

While five or six episodes of “Inside Ambition” were able to be shot in Drexel’s studio, the current pandemic has led her to move the show’s filming to her home, which adds to a more casual, conversation-like feel. All episodes of “Inside Ambition” are available on Drexel University Television’s website at https://dutv.org/category/inside-ambition/.

Many hours of planning, filming and interviews have been put into creating the content for the show. Now, George is finally beginning to see the results of her hard work as her interviews with students and coverage of issues within the Drexel community are finally available for students to watch.

Alexandra George has given Drexel students the extraordinary opportunity to get connected, stay informed, and learn about each other.

She has proven that “there’s hope, there’s opportunity” — even if you have to create it yourself.

Quarantine looks a bit different for a professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, who is making headlines for using his expertise to give back to the community amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Marek Swoboda, engineer and assistant teaching professor, has been working to develop and produce back-up ventilators for hospitals in the event that the demand for the breathing machines continues to grow. The effort comes after a request was made in March by the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

“Two weeks, 500 units, completely impossible,” Swoboda told WHYY, a Philadelphia-based NPR station.

Initially, Swoboda was not optimistic that his start-up, RightAir, would be able to produce the 500 ventilators in the two-week time frame Penn’s health system requested. But the team got to work quickly anyway.

“It was a great design sprint. In five days, we were able to test the first prototype,” he said.

Swoboda says each unit costs only $10 to create. The process first involves 3D-printing the design, which has been publicly released to anyone who wants to create them and then assembling it with a glue gun. He says it can be done in less than ten minutes.

The small, 3D-printed ventilators are called the “Y-vent,” named after its distinctive “Y” shape. It can be connected to pressure lines, which are standard in hospitals, to help patients breathe.

“You connect this ventilator, and it creates positive pressure to create inhale and exhale actions for patients,” Swoboda said.

In addition to their quick creation, one of the biggest selling points for the Y-vent is the simplicity of the design. He said it was inspired by the ventilators the Army and other rescue teams used 50 years ago.

“These are very simple, rugged devices because there are no moving parts inside,” Swoboda said.

Even though this project was started under pressure as a “sprint to the finish line,” Swoboda is proud of his work. He hopes his ventilators won’t become necessary in hospitals, but they can be useful resources for other medical professionals, like emergency medical service teams.

Swoboda noted that his Y-vent ventilator device is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. He does have plans to make a few small changes to his design and apply for approval in the near future.

More information about Swoboda’s project and the Y-vent ventilator can be found at 3Dprintedventilator.com.

The following crimes occurred on or near campus and were reported to The Triangle by the Drexel University Department of Public Safety between April 17 and April 25. All information included in this report is taken from law enforcement or Division of Public Safety incident reports.

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT (1)

April 19, 800 North 11th Street

A non-Drexel affiliate was shot one time in the stomach while walking. A stray bullet also struck the wall of the clinic.

THEFT (9)

April 15, 3400  Powelton Avenue

A Drexel affiliate reported unknown person(s) went onto their porch, opened a delivered package and took the contents.

April 17, 3400 Market Street

7-11 store manager reported an unknown male took food items and fled the store without paying.

April 19, 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., 3300  Powelton Avenue

A Drexel student reported unknown person(s) cut the porch railing and took their bicycle that was secured to the railing.

April 19 to April 20, 3600 Spring Garden Street

A non-Drexel complainant reported unknown person(s) entered their vehicle by force and took items from the glove compartment.

April 17, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 3200 Chestnut Street

A Drexel student reported unknown person(s) took their bicycle that was secured to a bike rack with a cable lock.

April 17 to April 19, 3000 Powelton Avenue

A Drexel student reported that an unknown person(s) cut the porch railing and took their bike that was secured to the railing.

April 19, 3500 Lancaster Avenue

A pizza delivery driver reported that they left their car running with the keys in the ignition, went into the store and, upon return, discovered that an unknown person(s) entered the car and drove off going west.

April 22, 3600 Baring Street

A non-Drexel complainant reported that an unknown person(s) went onto their porch, opened and took the contents of a package that was delivered to them.

April 24, 3300 Powelton Avenue

A non-Drexel complainant reported that an unknown person(s) went onto their porch, opened and took contents of a package that was delivered to them.

DUI ARREST (1)

April 25, 2:18 p.m., North  34th Street

Drexel Police arrested a non-Drexel male after he, while being visibly intoxicated, drove his vehicle onto the sidewalk striking a bench and tree.

POLICY VIOLATIONS (0)

During the period from April 17 to April 25, there were no Policy Violations for Alcohol or Drugs.