Health

Students living in Hartley Hall received an email from Cristen Kromm, the dean of undergraduate student life, and Dr. Melanie Bernitz, the senior vice president of Columbia Health, last week notifying them that several Hartley residents had tested positive for COVID-19 and that a potential building-wide lockdown was being considered.

When sophomore Rachel Marsh first arrived at Columbia, she felt like something was off, but wasn’t sure what. Marsh, a sprinter on the track and field team, came to New York from Garland, Texas, and spent her first semester caught up in the whirlwind rhythms of practice, competition, and academics.

I was convinced that 2020 would be my last year alive after a pandemic-related housing loss led to seven relocations. Medical information was ever changing, little was discussed about how to move safely, and there were few places I could actually be safe as a Black trans person. Nearly a year later, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is underway, and data shows more than half of Black adults in the United States are hesitant to be vaccinated.

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.

University Professor and Dr. Mathilde Krim-amfAR Chair of Global Health Wafaa El-Sadr has been appointed the next director of Columbia World Projects, University President Lee Bollinger announced in an email to the student body Thursday afternoon.

After months of YouTube workouts, chilly runs, and reorganizing dorm rooms and childhood bedrooms to make space for a yoga mat or weights, Columbia students will soon have another option. Dodge Fitness Center will reopen for limited student use for the first time in over 10 months on Tuesday. The Dodge reopening will begin with a maximum capacity of 320 online reservations per day, a fraction of its typical usage.

Vocalizing stories about mental health can destigmatize seeking help and initiate honest discussions about these issues.

The Columbia Community Health Compact will be tested this semester as the University welcomes approximately 1,800 undergraduates to campus, nearly double its on-campus student population from the fall semester.

At 9:30 p.m. in Seoul, South Korea, the sun has long set, and Erin Chung’s parents prepare for bed. But for the Columbia College first-year, who woke up only a few hours ago, the day is just beginning.