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(07/13/23 6:10pm)
Ever since the pandemic, iPad payments followed by the “would you like to leave a tip?” prompt have become the norm at retail and food services locations. For those with financial means, the decision to just pay an additional tip may be a no-brainer, but for others it may seem unnecessary or even economically burdensome. Regardless of how you feel about tipping, it is indisputable that there has been an increase in instances where tipping is now anticipated or requested in places where it was not customary before. While most places asking for electronic tips employ workers who make at least minimum wage, many restaurant workers rely on tips as a significant portion of their income. The rise in tipping outside of the restaurant industry points to companies’ unwillingness to raise wages, or offer more extensive employee benefits. Instead, tipping has become an easy way for companies to meet workers demands for higher wages without having to provide the funds internally, burdening consumers and promoting unsustainable wage earnings. As such, the government must guarantee both a living wage and social safety nets for all workers.
(05/27/23 1:23am)
I’ve loved writing since I was a child, but I’ve always preferred the kind of writing that no one would ever see. The kind of childish fictional stories that I’d write in journals late at night — diary entries and unfinished manuscripts. My writing at the time reflected my innermost thoughts and dreams, things I’ve never intended to share. So you can imagine, I came to the University with no real intention of joining a student newspaper.
(04/13/23 4:41pm)
In 2020 alone 45,222 Americans lost their lives to a public health crisis plaguing this nation. No, they did not lose their lives to COVID-19. They died from gun-related injuries. Sadly, with each successive year, the percentage of deaths resulting from gun violence has only continued to increase. In fact, in 2022, gun violence was the leading cause of death for children in America, surpassing the number of deaths caused by vehicular accidents. What makes this fact even more unfortunate is that these deaths are all entirely preventable. Gun control is largely framed as a political issue. However, we must recognize gun violence — and the rise in mass shootings — as a pressing public health crisis in need of immediate government funding and attention. Our legislators must commit to addressing gun violence as the disease it is and work to end this public health crisis.
(03/21/23 3:23pm)
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(02/20/23 2:00pm)
The current U.S. Supreme Court seems intent on sending the United States back to the 20th century. First it was overturning Roe v. Wade and challenging tribal sovereignty, now the Supreme Court has the potential to overturn another 1960s precedent — affirmative action. It is extremely concerning to see a handful of old, white men — who are both unelected and who hold life-long appointments — make decisions that will primarily affect low-income people of color. This Court is set to make a decision by June on two cases which challenge the constitutionality of considering race as a factor in college admissions.
(12/30/22 8:09pm)
If you are a current or even past student at the University, you may have seen a land acknowledgement statement that appears at the end of your class syllabus. Perhaps the professor has even read the statement out loud. Maybe the professor even went as far as having you pull up a Native American land map so you could see what Native land your hometown sits on. If you did not already know, the University occupies Monacan land. However, most students’ understanding of the Monacan land and people does not go beyond that. Some may believe the inclusion of a land acknowledgement statement is sufficient, or that all professors should include one in their syllabi. I argue however, that this is not enough. Instead, the University benefits when land acknowledgement does not go any further than just recognizing that you occupy Monacan land. Rarely do you learn about the history of how the land which the University sits upon was forcibly taken, or about the people from whom the land was stolen. The University must move beyond the performative aspects of land acknowledgement and start taking further action towards making amends with the Monacan Nation.
(10/03/22 6:57am)
It’s the time of the year again when Americans receive rapid fire facts about 33 countries, 666,873,240 people of varying ethnicities and 560 languages within a 30-day period. I’m not sure about you, but it seems to me that it would take a whole lot longer than a month to explain the vast diversity that is Latin America. However, every year since 1988, we have attempted just that. Contrary to popular belief, Latin America is not a monolith, and Latin Americans are not just an electorate that needs to be won over every time presidential and midterm elections come around. We are real people who have existed and continue to exist outside of the obligatory 30-day period in which the majority of Americans are forced to acknowledge us. However, each Hispanic Heritage Month, the rhetoric over our existence is dominated by non-Latinx Americans and corporations who continue to undermine, homogenize and profit off of the Latinx experience.
(09/21/22 1:30am)
If you have ever gone in for a doctor’s visit pre-pandemic with a sore throat, a runny nose and sneezing fits, your doctor visit probably went something like this. A strep test is ordered, the results come back negative and the doctor dismisses it as some viral infection. You are not coughing, but you receive a prescription for cough syrup. You go home, not bothering to stop at the pharmacy for the unnecessary cough syrup. Alternatively, the strep test comes back positive, you receive a prescription for antibiotics. Regardless, you are leaving that doctor’s office with a prescription of some kind. In this case, your average doctor’s visit is harmless, you just have the common cold or strep. However, imagine you arrive at the doctor’s office complaining of the worst back pain of your life. That prescription you receive could change your life.
(09/08/22 3:25am)
Every time I have gone to Student Health for an appointment or to pick up medications, I have had a positive experience. That is, until this semester, when I opened my email and became one of the 100 million Americans with medical debt. A little over $600, to be exact. To some this may appear laughable, especially when 3 million Americans have over $10,000 in medical debt. However, at least for me, $600 is a fifth of my semesterly income. Medical debt unduly burdens Americans and even students here at the University. While more comprehensive and systematic change is needed within the medical system, two short-term solutions are an increase in medical dissemination — the effective communication of medical information — and the reduction of medical debt.
(08/24/22 1:11am)
For the second time in two years, the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency — the first being COVID-19 and second monkeypox. Although these two viruses have more differences than commonalities, they are both zoonotic in nature. Zoonotic diseases derive from animals and can be transmitted to humans as a result of an event called spillover. Understanding spillover is crucial to understanding why such outbreaks are not unprecedented forces of nature, or flukes. Rather, these events are reasons for serious current and future concern that scientists have already been warning us about all along. It is time we acknowledge the reality that a major outbreak of disease will happen again. However, we can do something to potentially prevent future spillovers and subsequent outbreaks, especially by addressing the climate crisis.
(08/10/22 8:41pm)
With the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the U.S. has yet another public health crisis among continuing COVID-19 cases — the latter of which has placed great stress on the healthcare system for the past two years. Debates over whether healthcare a right, whether abortion is healthcare, whether vaccines can be legally required and other such topics continue to permeate American political discourse. Healthcare has always been politicized, but these days it seems more impossible to depoliticize healthcare and ensure that Americans are receiving equal, quality and affordable access to healthcare. Unfortunately, not only is the American government — but especially the Supreme Court — failing the American people, but so is our healthcare system.
(02/12/22 7:56pm)
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(01/20/22 7:45pm)
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us — and continues to teach us — many valuable lessons about public health. Such lessons range from a wider understanding of how viruses spread, how to protect yourself and others from respiratory illness and even learning to value health over profit. The University has committed itself to halting the spread on Grounds through a number of policies, including quarantine and isolation, prevalence testing and the implementation of safety measures such as hand sanitizer stations. Despite this mostly positive response to helping stop the spread of this public health crisis, the University has not done nearly enough when it comes to the decades old public health crisis of smoking. According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, six Virginia universities have smoke-free campuses. However, the University remains ambiguous and has not committed to becoming a smoke-free campus.
(02/01/22 11:27pm)
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that staying home when you are sick and quarantining after exposure to the virus greatly reduces the potential of spreading the virus to others. In addition, studies have shown this strategy is effective in reducing the spread of other viruses — infections of which are currently overwhelming healthcare facilities around the country. Recently, we have begun to embrace a new normal — something which has greatly differed by state. Unfortunately, many across the country and even here at the University have begun to let their guards down as COVID-19 cases have been drastically reduced as a result of increased vaccinations. Reasons for such behaviors, which risk increasing infections, may stem from fear of missing work or school — although the pandemic has shown such a decision can have deadly consequences. Here in Charlottesville, it is on the University to ensure students are not impeded when they choose to prioritize their health and the health of others. Further, as a society, we must begin to prioritize health and wellness over work and profit.
(10/07/21 4:10pm)
Following the recent enactment of the nation’s most restrictive abortion law in Texas, the state has once again filed a controversial and insensitive petition to the Supreme Court — this time, against the Indian Child Welfare Act. Texas and four Native American tribes have petitioned the Supreme Court questioning the legislation’s constitutionality. This comes after a lawsuit was filed in 2017 against ICWA and following Texas courts finding the act unconstitutional in 2018. The Supreme court is set to rule on the case by Oct. 8.
(09/06/21 7:35pm)
The pandemic awakened social and performative action in the past two years, as conversations on race and gender inequality increased in online spaces. However, these conversations should not remain confined to arguments with strangers on the internet. These conversations — which have mobilized activists and angered those defending the status quo of inequality — must be expanded upon in higher education. The University is all too familiar with being the center of controversy surrounding race relations regarding its past and recent history. Although the University can never atone for the many historical transgressions it has condoned and participated in, it can progress towards becoming a more inclusive and safe location for all students. To do this, the University must — among numerous things — require students to take a course in race and gender equality.
(10/24/21 12:55am)
Despite decades of debate in Congress over the topic of Puerto Rican statehood, the conversation continues to be pushed to the side. While many congressmen and women have voiced their support for statehood, very few have openly advocated for Puerto Rican self-determination or even independence. Meanwhile, Puerto Rican representatives continue to lack political power in both American politics and in making decisions on behalf of the island. Unfortunately, despite preaching self-determination and freedom for nations around the globe, the U.S. has made no effort to bestow the same rights to the people of Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.The age of colonization has long come to an end, and it is time for the U.S. to practice what they preach and abolish the colony.
(08/29/21 8:47pm)
COVID-19 poses a threat to both diversity and culture. Across the globe, the arts were threatened with the loss of over 30 millIon jobs. As a result, many cultural events have been inaccessible, posing a threat to the passing on of cultural information to subsequent generations. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization suggests ways that governments across the globe can contend with these losses — such as directly supporting artists and those spreading culture professionally. By the same token, the U.S. government must work with and give aid to communities such as the Native American community who have sustained great cultural losses as a result of the pandemic. As we look towards a hopeful future with increasing vaccinations, we must contend with not only how the economy has changed but how the population has and will continue to change. This includes the loss of many diverse voices and stories as a result of this deadly pandemic.
(04/25/21 7:18pm)
As of April 18, adults 16 years of age and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, following an announcement from Governor Northam. This newest update is on par with President Biden’s plan to have all adults in America eligible for vaccination by May 1. To date, 26 percent of the U.S. population has already been vaccinated, and an estimated 70 to 85 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity. As several states begin opening eligibility to those 16 and older, students must now decide whether they themselves plan to get the vaccination. Although the University recently opened vaccine appointments to students, the institution should also make vaccinations mandatory. Likewise, they should make a plan to widely distribute vaccines on Grounds, instead of an off-Grounds location where transportation is necessary, in order to increase accessibility for all students. Several colleges around the country have already begun to transform spaces around their campuses into vaccination clinics and or have made vaccinations mandatory to return in the fall.
(04/22/21 9:58pm)
Currently, 50 million Americans are suffering from food insecurity, which is up from 35 million Americans at the beginning of 2019. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as the “lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.” In Charlottesville, the percentage of people suffering from food insecurity has increased since the onset of the pandemic and is higher than the state average at 17.5 percent, or one in six people. As the source of 86 percent of the overall COVID-19 cases in Charlottesville, the University has a moral obligation to help relieve the Charlottesville community from the burden of increased food insecurity resulting and exacerbated by the pandemic. The University can and must do more to aid students and improve its strained relationship with the Charlottesville community during this time of uncertainty.