Health

“We stay here for you. You stay home for us!!!” I see the viral Facebook post for the fourth time today: a photo of 11 doctors in scrubs, gloves, and masks holding signs. The first 10 each have one word; the final doctor has three exclamation points. The message is clear, concise, and necessary: The men and women of the healthcare industry are risking their lives to save those of us who may have chosen to not take precautions during this epidemic, so the least we could do to thank them is heed the government’s warnings.

Lately, I’ve been reframing the unique features of my body as gifts from generations before me. I imagine my smile as belonging to my ancestors who found reasons to smile despite great adversities. I wonder if my back that allows me to stand tall belonged to men who refused to cower in fear. Did my hips belong to women who found rhythm in the crashing waves of the Caribbean Sea?

At 8 p.m. on Monday nights, I usually sit in the Spectator office. This is arguably the place where I spend most of my time, and inarguably, this is the place where I watch The Bachelor.

When I came to Barnard, I already knew that I wanted to graduate early. On paper, it seemed feasible. However, almost everyone I spoke to warned that it would be incredibly difficult. Still, I did not consider an increased workload grounds for abandoning my desire. My parents have taken on more than their fair share of work to care for me. Easing their financial burden by graduating early was the least that I could do. Graduating early would make it financially possible for my brother to apply to his dream schools and for our parents to afford our educational and vocational aspirations past college.

A new viral Twitter video features a woman, labeled as “Chinese,” wearing what appears to be a mask covering her face. The woman was exiting Chinatown’s Grand Street station when a man physically attacked her as he called her “diseased,” according to witnesses.

New York City officials are waiting to confirm the first case of coronavirus in NYC as the world deals with over 17,200 people who have already contracted the virus, resulting in 362 deaths. This isn’t the first time residents await results: Officials have tested lab samples ten times in the past––all results negative.

Whether in avocado toast or the guacamole at Chipotle, avocados demand high prices at restaurants. The reason those restaurants often charge extra for avocados is that they require a lot of maintenance in comparison to other foods: They require a lot of water to grow, are in high demand and limited supply, and spoil very quickly.

Dear sender,

The sale of flavored e-cigarettes is now banned in New York City after the passage of a bill by the New York City Council last Tuesday. Despite support from community leaders, business owners and experts remain divided over the efficacy of the ban in addressing tobacco usage in West Harlem, citing the discrepancy in targeting populations who have access to such devices.

The semester ends in less than a month. My favorite spot on the fourth floor of Butler grows more crowded by the day. The line in Starbucks lengthens by a few people each morning. Office hours and tutoring slots fill up so quickly that they have become a rare commodity.