Every year, as the weather begins to warm, and the first lawn days call everyone outside, I start wearing my grandfather’s blue jacket. He bought it decades ago, well before I was born, and then he raised me and became my best friend. When he passed away in March 2016, my world fell apart and I lost a chunk of my heart that still hasn’t fully come back. While that was six years ago, I’m still in the process of putting myself back together again.

Two teenagers aged 16 and 17 were arrested on Feb. 12 in connection with the shooting of an off-duty police officer on Feb. 5 at the Manhattanville Houses located near 126th Street and Broadway. Due to their ages, the names of the teens have not been released.

Rashaun Weaver, 16, pleaded guilty on Thursday to second-degree murder and first-degree robbery in the December 2019 killing of Barnard first-year Tess Majors. Weaver is the third teenager to plead guilty, which brings this case nearly to a close.

Edward Keating, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, died of cancer last Sunday, Sept. 26. He was 65 years old.

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York state would be significantly expanding vaccine eligibility, with all New Yorkers above the age of 16 becoming eligible for vaccination starting April 6. However, even as vaccine distribution has ramped up across the country and in New York City, West Harlem residents, especially seniors, still face significant uphill battles in getting a vaccine.

High air pollution rates. Toxic waste plants. High temperatures. These are only some of the issues that West Harlem residents face as a result of the ever-worsening climate crisis, coupled with systemic neglect on the part of government officials, the New York City Housing Authority, and the disproportionate number of pollutant-producing entities in the area.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, residents depend on hospitals for community health and wellness. However, many West Harlem residents have experienced feelings of discontent and distrust toward local hospitals. The strain in community relations has put the most vulnerable populations—in particular, working-class Black, senior, and undocumented residents—at risk.

In December, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to prioritize neighborhoods that had historically suffered from racial inequity, such as West Harlem, in the city’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. Just over one month later, with the vaccine rollout underway, residents claim that the city has not made good on that pledge, as Manhattan Community Board 9 still does not have a single vaccination site.

In front of an array of posters emblazoned with red and black slogans, the Columbia-Barnard Young Democratic Socialists of America mounted a rally in support of its tuition strike. The rally began with a press conference in front of University President Lee Bollinger’s 60 West Morningside Drive home and culminated in a march to the steps of Low Library.