Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Sept. 8, 2021, edition 1 / Page 2
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News In-Person Classes Resume at Meredith By Rania Abushakra, Staff Writer Meredith College stu dents, faculty and staff have returned to almost fully in-per son classes this semester. While the return to the pre-pandemic college experience may give relief for some students, others feel uneasy about sitting in a classroom surrounded by many students who may not share the same concerns over COVID-19 safety. Before the semester started, Meredith’s Executive Leadership Team announced that vaccinations will be en couraged but not required for students, faculty and staff. Those who wish not to receive the vaccine must be tested each week and get cleared by the Health Center. Things are not back to normal just yet as the Delta variant of COVTD-ig is a con cern to the CDC and College officials. This variant is highly contagious and more severe than the normal strain of COV ID-19. The CDC also announced that while the vaccines are proven effective, there is still a chance to become infected with the virus. In North Carolina, most of the new cases are from the Delta variant of COVID-19. Madison Helton, ‘25, said she enjoys having in per son classes because it was difficult to learn and compre hend information in an online setting. "Online classes felt like watching YouTube videos instead of learning. During in-person classes, I am more focused and it is [much] easier to connect with professors and other classmates," Helton said. "As long as [the Meredith com munity] takes precautions to ensure that the virus does not spread, I think in person classes should continue." For other students, like Class of 2025 Elections Taking Place Next Week By Angelina Morin, Contributing Writer For freshmen, the time to vote for campus representa tives is approaching. A ballot will be sent to students at 8 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 13, and voting will close on Sept. 14. On Sept. 8, students can watch speeches from candidates via Zoom to get to know their potential repre sentatives. Students can find links to the Zoom for campaign speeches and ballot forms in their emails. Representatives work to make changes on campus and host important events and tra ditions. Be sure to vote for your preferred candidate, and be on the lookout for vacant positions following the election. Informa tion about any vacant positions to be filled by an application and interview process will be sent out following the election. No Changes for Meredith’s Vaccine Re quirement After Pfizer’s FDA Approval By Freya Dahlgren, Staff Writer Now that the Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, newly branded as Comirnaty, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this does not change the lack of a vaccine requirement for students, faculty and staff at Meredith College. When asked about vac cine requirements, Melyssa Allen, Director of News at Mer edith College, said, “Meredith continues to strongly encourage all students, faculty and staff to get the COVID-19 vaccinations of their choice. ..Campus leaders hope the FDA approval will help individuals who have been hesi tant about vaccination to decide to get vaccinated now.” She also stated that Meredith is looking into holding another COVID-19 Kiran Kapur, ‘22, Photo by Madison Sholar tions.” returning to m- person classes causes a signifi cant amount of anxiety. “I am scared for the people who are not vaccinated as they could re ally suffer if they become infect ed," Kapur said. "I know that if I get the virus, I will likely recover quickly since I am vaccinated and take the proper precau- Sizzlin’ Into September By Evelyn Summers, Contributing Writer Regardless of which learning environment is used at Meredith, continuing to practice proper health and safety measures like wearing a face mask indoors can ensure a safe transition back to normal and keep the ease count low. vaccine clinic on campus. A previous clinic was held in April 2021 where the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was offered to faculty, staff and students. At the time of this ar ticle’s printing, the vaccination rate for students at Meredith is 73.6% and the vaccination rate for faculty and staff is 79.4%. In the meantime, information about vaccine availability can be found on the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) website. If any changes are made to Meredith’s COVID-19 Community Stan dards or safety requirements, those changes will be communi cated to students and employ ees. September is marked by the beginning of fall, with pump kin spice lattes, cooler weather and many events occurring on campus. One such event in September is Meredith’s “Sizzlin’ September” festival happening Friday, Sept. 17 from 3 to 7:30 p.m. This event is aimed to bring individuals together to have fun at the beginning of the semester and become more involved in the Meredith com munity. There will be two dif ferent times students can attend Sizzlin’ September this year in order to comply with COVID-19 capacity requirements. Unlike years in the past when the wider Raleigh community was encour aged to attend. Sizzlin’ Septem ber will only be available for Meredith students. This event will take place in the Mclver Amphitheater and its surround ing green space. There will be a variety of food trucks, live music and so cially distanced activities for the attendees to partake in. Food truck options will include Mr. Mongolian, Big Mike’s BBQ and carnival-style treats from Oak Leaf Catering. Other activities include bingo and raffle prizes randomly selected according to seating location. Vendors will be follow ing COVID-19 safety guidelines and students are expected to follow Community Standards. Students must pre-register to attend this event and there is no cost for attendance. An RSVP invitation will be sent out via email in the coming week. Photo by Olivia Slack
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