Tag: covid-19

Opinion

Opinion: Curfew Shutdowns in Tucson Prove Ineffective

By Troy Hutchinson Since late November, Tucson was on a lockdown and was supposed to end on Dec. 23 but was extended by Pima County, forcing businesses and bars to close their doors at 10 p.m. Local businesses grew frustrated as the lockdown started to creep into the new year, causing their company to lose revenue, making it harder to stay open during these difficult times. With frustration growing, local businesses Cobra Arcade Bar, HireWire Lounge, The Maverick and Union Public House joined together to file a lawsuit against Pima County, demining the curfew unlawful on Jan. 5, according to The Arizona Daily Star. That lawsuit overturned the curfew and opened companies up on Jan. 20, going back to business as usual.  After talking to some local bar owners, no one was willing to go on t...
The NBA tests positive
Sports

The NBA tests positive

Photo by Keith Allison By Kyler Van Vliet Last week, the NBA stated that 48 players have tested positive for COVID-19. With the season coming to a start later in December, the NBA tested 546 of its players between Nov. 24 and 30 after players returned to their respective team markets. 9% of the players tested positive.  However, in the league’s preseason guidance to teams sent late last week, they made it clear that some positive test results were to be expected.  Any player with a confirmed positive test is isolated until cleared by rules established by the league and National Basketball Players Association, in accordance with CDC guidance. The league's health and safety protocols for this season say that anyone with a positive test in this ‘pre-camp phase’, “must receive medical clear...
News

Arizona COVID update: Thanksgiving edition

By Troy Hutchison Arizona was one of the hot spots for COVID-19 around the country during June and July, with the highest cases-per-day coming on July 1, with a total of 4,877 cases across the state. After the spike, Arizona saw numbers decrease through mid-October, causing the state to reopen with some limitations still in place. Now, as we’re near the end of November, case numbers are starting to rise again, with 4,471 new cases on Nov. 20. The rise has brought concern to local leaders all across the state of Arizona and leaves people to wonder if students will be coming back to college campuses such as the University of Arizona (UA). When you walk around campus at UA, you’ll find many different opinions about the situation and how it might affect the school moving forward for the 202...
Opinion

Funerals in the age of COVID

Photo by Ashim D'Silva By Troy Hutchison In the last eight months, the world has gone through drastic changes to keep itself safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Events have been canceled, celebrations have been put on hold, classes gone from in-person to virtual classrooms, and these are just some examples of how society has had to adapt to the new COVID-19 world.   No matter how much society adapts to the situation we currently live in, nothing can prepare a person for a COVID-style funeral experience. When talking about this, I am not speaking just about COVID-19 related deaths; I’m talking about any death that comes during this time and the changes a family has to make to keep the funeral safe. That is something I recently went through, and it was an experience that I thought ...
News, Opinion

Covid-19 vs mental health

By NOOR HAGHIGHI A few weeks ago, my dad came home from Walgreens where he picked up some Zinc supplements for me. Many of us, myself included, have developed a keen sense of hypochondria during the pandemic. The slightest tickle in the throat scared me into believing that the virus was coming for me. He told me that all the supplements like Ashwagandha, which helps your body relieve stress, other nerve relaxants and stomach relaxants were quite scarce. When I stopped by Target later on, his claims were verified, as the sleeping pills and Vitamin Cs had also been wiped out. It feels like everyone is on edge; that this nervousness in the air is not confined to any particular age group. It’s taken a toll on my friends and I as high schoolers; I’ve seen it ripping families apart and it’s har...
And I learned how to get along (with Covid)
Features, News

And I learned how to get along (with Covid)

By Nate Martinez Fall is right around the corner, and you know exactly what that means: it’s time to bust out those new shoes, strap on that overpriced JanSport backpack and make your way from your bed straight to the couch to log on to your zoom class. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be no face-to-face classes at Pima for the rest of the year. Many of us will miss seeing our old friends to study with and the face to face time with instructors that many students utilize to ensure they get the best grade possible. But is the absence of face to face classes at Pima Community College such a bad thing?  A survey was given by the Aztec Press to three randomly selected students. They were asked if the transition to fully virtual learning was either positive of negative and w...
News, Opinion

Perplexing Measures Prompted by COVID-19

Photo Courtesy of Jason Connolly / AFP - Getty Images Demonstrators gather in front of the Colorado State Capitol building to protest coronavirus stay-at-home orders during a "Reopen Colorado" rally in Denver on Sunday, April 19, 2020. By Kevin Hartung I have heard some very unusual stories regarding measures of social distancing being implemented by the stay-at-home mandates. While some make me laugh, others make me question their legality. Americans facing the fear of COVID-19 have selflessly given up freedoms to assure the outbreak is confined and ends quickly. They deserve recognition for their efforts. Still, there are some that want to push the envelope. For instance, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has incessantly added to stay-at-home measures which have sparked demonstration...
Features, News, Opinion

Displaying Humanity in a Crisis

Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star Steve Tracy, Thunder Canyon Brewery co-owner and brewer, fills up 16oz bottles of locally made hand sanitizer at Thunder Canyon Brewery, 220 E. Broadway Blvd., in Tucson, Ariz., on April 6, 2020. by Kevin Hartung We often overlook opportunities to reveal our humanitarian side to others. It may be hiding somewhere under the surface, but the coronavirus is bringing it out in many. While many people reach out to family, friends, and neighbors, individuals are not the only ones to recognize the need and offer aid. A March 16 article on BuzzFeed discussed that a program, No Kid Hungry, identified a problem and framed a solution. The article stated that since the coronavirus has forced mass school closures across the country, million...
News

What's Happening on Campus

by Kevin HartingPic of Parking lot Spring is here and it’s spring-cleaning time.  The stay-home measure caused by the coronavirus pandemic seems an ideal time to get the job done. That goes for businesses as well. Our West Campus, as previously pointed out, deserves a facelift. This is an opportunity to do the job right. At the least, carpets need a thorough cleaning. Tiled floors need to be scrubbed and waxed.  Touchup paint on the walls would help and do not forget the sanitizing measures to kill whatever remains on surfaces. The West Campus is embarking on some tasks that cannot be accomplished when the college is in session. In an email dated March 30, Libby Howell, Executive Director/Media, Community & Government, pointed out that West Campus parking lots are being resurfaced. How...
Uncategorized

Stimulus checks will not be coming for many college students

By ANA FIERROS COVID-19, college administrations and our government have economically duped college students.  After the extreme rise in COVID-19 cases in the United States, universities and colleges across the nation have closed their doors for the remainder of the semester. Students who paid for an entire semester and even went into debt trying to cover the costs of attendance will likely not get a refund for what they paid.  Students have lost work study jobs that they use to help pay for things outside of school. I had to be let go from my work study job because they couldn’t manage to keep me on board with the changing school schedule, though I was lucky enough to be onboarded as a regular employee.  This is not the case for most college students. Ohio University is struggling to fin...