Social-Distancing

After applying and committing to Columbia, you’ve probably bookmarked the Columbia Undergraduate Admissions website and scoured all the different pages countless times. However, it’s quite difficult to get a real feel for the school if you haven’t had the chance to visit campus or attend Days on Campus. 

It’s 10 p.m. on a Friday night, do you have plans? A couple Friday nights ago, Yuval Dinoor, a Barnard College junior, threw a “PowerPoint party”—over Zoom, of course.

As we honor our heroes on the front line—the doctors, nurses, teachers, and the blue-collar backbone of this country—it is now, more than ever, imperative to also remember those who often go unremembered: the homeless.

During my last few years at Columbia, the times I regret most were those of self-isolation. There were moments when my anxieties felt too overwhelming and unimportant to voice out loud, especially if other humans were present. Most of these moments were followed by spontaneous overshares to the right humans, which made them feel much more manageable.

On Thursday, the United States became the country with the highest number of COVID-19 cases, currently reported to be greater than 140,000 nationwide and increasing. Experts have noted that a possible explanation for the increased spread is the inconsistent messaging around the virus, which has led to slow change in preventative behavior meant to “flatten the curve.”

“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.

“Someone put your UNI down in Scramble! Log in or create an account at www.scramble.fun and put down UNIs of people you’re interested in too!”

Valentine’s Day is coming up this Friday, Feb. 14. If you have a date or a partner, then you may be eagerly looking towards the end of the week. If you’re single, however, you might be feeling indifferent towards the holiday or even feeling self-conscious if you don’t have plans. Well, not to worry; being single on Valentine’s Day is totally fine. Here are just a few reasons why:

Art X Social Justice’s inaugural event, “Stories in Paper,” featured paper-based artwork made by incarcerated people. Through workshops led by art therapist Laura Betancur, the artists constructed pieces in a variety styles, which reflected a range of experiences.