Columns

DUGGAL | Hold the Door

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My number one pet peeve is when people don’t hold the door. I don’t mean that men need to chivalrous and hold the door for women they’re trying to impress, or that women need to do the same to prove they’re feminist as hell; I simply mean that everyone (read: everyone, as in including you, Mr. I Have Four Meetings in a Row and My Life is More Important Than Yours) must hold the door for everyone. There are a few reasons why. Firstly, doors are heavy. Have you ever tried open the doors on the ground floor of Gannett?

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H1N1 Invades: Gannett Diagnoses 291 Students With Flu-Like Illness

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Correction Appended
Cornell witnessed a surge of students experiencing flu-like symptoms over the holiday weekend, bringing the total number of students diagnosed by Gannett Health Services with probable H1N1 influenza to 291 as of last night.
Since individuals are not required to report having the flu and may choose to seek medical attention from other healthcare providers, this number only reflects those actually diagnosed at Gannett.
“We have no way of knowing how many people [in total] have H1N1 in our community of students, faculty and staff,” said Sharon Dittman, associate director of community relations at Gannett Health Services.

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Three Possible Cases of Swine Flu Discovered in Cortland

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The Cortland County Health Department announced yesterday that they are waiting for lab results from two suspected cases of swine flu in Cortland, N.Y., and they are investigating a third unrelated case to see if it meets the criteria for swine flu.
According to Theresa Lyczko, director of Health Promotion Program at Tompkins County Health Department, no additional information was available yesterday.
The Central N.Y. Real-Time News reported that one of the possible cases involves a Cortland County resident who works in Madison County and got sick after a trip to Mexico.

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Gannett Warns Students About Swine Flu Outbreak

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Although there has been no reported case of swine flu at Cornell or in Tompkins County, members of the Cornell community should “be alert and cautious but not panic,” according to Sharon Dittman, associated director of community relations at Gannett Health Services.
As of yesterday, 45 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in at least five states in the United States, including New York. Because it is a new strain of influenza, people are unlikely to have natural immunity against the flu, which is passed from human to human, according to Gannett’s website.
Dittman said that symptoms of the swine flu are “basically identical” to those of seasonal flu, which include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

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Bill Encourages Lower Prices for Contraceptives

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The nation’s president has been a staunch proponent of contraceptive use, recently signing an appropriations bill calling for pharmaceutical companies to supply discounted contraceptives to college health clinics, Planned Parenthood offices and family-planning centers throughout the country.
“The recent passing of the affordable birth control legislation is a victory for millions of college students who have struggled to afford the rising costs of basic contraception in these difficult economic times,” stated Robin Gaige, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, in an e-mail.
The passage of the bill may also help to reduce the high numbers of unplanned pregnancies seen in the U.S.

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Few, But Rising Number of Students Take Free Flu Shots

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Each year from the beginning of November through the end of April, millions of Americans are stricken by the influenza virus. According to the website of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “On average 5 percent to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and about 36,000 people die from flu.” While a flu shot does not guarantee total protection from this scourge of the winter season, the CDC notes that the injection is up to 90 percent effective in warding off influenza in healthy people under age 65.

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Recession May Contribute to Rise in Gannett Counseling

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As America’s financial well-being continues to suffer from the economic recession, individuals likewise share the pain from the emotional repercussions that come with the stress of increased financial hardship.
Matt Boone, assistant director of Counseling and Psychological Services and coordinator of the “Let’s Talk” program at Gannett, said he has seen evidence that the finance crisis affecting the mental health of the Cornell community.
“I’ve seen from myself in my own practice and have heard from my colleagues that students are [more often] presenting issues of anxiety relating to the financial situation, whether it’s things going on in their own family … or whether they are worried for themselves about internships or future jobs,” Boone said.