Adjusting to in-person classes, B1
Virtual timeline for SU history, C1
Kauffman goes digital, D1
Volleyball looks to regroup, E1
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Reporting truth. Serving our community.
Volume 65 No. 2
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
US regulators give full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Lauran NeerGaard and Matthew Perrone and Jonathan Lemire Associated Press
The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Monday, potentially boosting public confidence in the shots and instantly opening the way for more universities, companies and local governments to make vaccinations mandatory. The Pentagon promptly announced it will press ahead with plans to require members of the military to get vaccinated amid the battle against the extra-contagious delta variant. Louisiana State University likewise said it will demand its students get the shot. More than 200 million Pfizer doses have been administered in the U.S. under special emergency provisions — and hundreds of millions more worldwide — since December. In going a step further
and granting full approval, the Food and Drug Administration cited months of real-world evidence that serious side effects are extremely rare. President Joe Biden said that for those who hesitated to get the vaccine until it received what he dubbed the “gold standard” of FDA approval, “the moment you’ve been waiting for is here.” “Please get vaccinated today,” he said. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called the FDA’s action “an important milestone that I think will unlock some of the more skeptical minds.” Pfizer said the U.S. is the first country to grant full approval of its vaccine, in a process that required a 360,000-page application and rigorous inspections. Never before has the FDA had so much evidence to judge a shot’s safety. The formula, jointly developed with Germany’s BioNTech, will be marketed
under the brand name Comirnaty. Moderna has also applied to the FDA for full approval of its vaccine. Johnson & Johnson, maker of the third option in the U.S., said it hopes to do so later this year. Just over half of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. Vaccinations in this country bottomed out in July at an average of about a half-million shots per day, down from a peak of 3.4 million a day in mid-April. As the delta variant fills hospital beds, shots are on the rise again, with a million a day given Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine means it meets the same “very high standards required of all the approved vaccines we rely on every day,” said Dr. Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former FDA vaccine chief. See “VACCINE,” A2
Vaccination Clinic Schedule
Clinic #3: First Dose Aug. 23, Second Dose Sept. 13 Clinic #4: First Dose Sept. 9, Second Dose Sept. 30 Clinic #5: First Dose Oct. 27, Second Dose Nov. 18 Clinic #6: First Dose Nov. 10, Second Dose To see a the full schedule visit: https://news.ship.edu/2021/08/03/ship-announces-vaccine-clinic-dates-for-campus-and-local-community/
SU administration and SGA hold welcome-back for sophomores Bailey Cassada Staff Writer
After a successful first week of classes, the Student Government Association (SGA) and First-Year Experience teamed up to treat sophomores to a root beer float social event Friday afternoon. Campus administration officials, SGA members and other rolled up their sleeves and scooped ice cream and poured root beer to welcome new students. While yard games were planned to be held at the academic quad, it began to rain, and the event was relocated. Despite the location change, spirits were still high as students celebrated outside the Dauphin Humanities Center (DHC) with floats, free shirts and umbrellas. SGA President Riley Brown said that hosting the event was a great way to bring back a
sense of normalcy for the class of 2024. “The class of 2024, much like our new class of 2025, faced tremendous obstacles in both their high school and collegiate experiences. Therefore, the Student Government is committed to helping acclimate these students to the Ship community and campus,” he said. “This sophomore class social was a small step in working towards that goal.” The event allowed students to network and socialize with their peers. Organizations on-campus such as the SGA and Activities Program Board (APB) are working hard to organize events for students. “We are beginning to see the effects of hard work from student leaders, staff, faculty, and administrators that is making our campus as vibrant as it was before the pandemic,” Brown said. “We will continue that hard work and I am absolutely certain we will create an engaging campus atmosphere once again.”
Bailey Cassada/The Slate
Sophomores enjoy rootbeer floats outside the Dauphin Humanities Center.
Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate
The SU Marching Band performed at the Corn Festival Saturday morning. It was one of several local musical groups to play. Other muscians included The Tom Patterson Project, Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers and Across the Pond. Students, residents and visitors enjoyed a variety of food and craft goods at the festival.
Shippensburg Corn Festival in-person and busy despite high temperatures Carmine Schicchitano Mulitmedia Director
After a brief hiatus last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 40th annual Shippensburg Corn Festival was back and just as live as ever. This past Saturday, more 250 craft vendors and 40 food vendors set up at the Shippensburg Fairgrounds located at 10131 Possum Hollow Road for the yearly event. The Shippensburg Corn Fest was originally founded by the Shippensburg Heritage and Recreation Planning Society (SHARP) as a way to protect the history of the Shippensburg community.
The festival was created as a fundraiser to help with this goal, and has since grown into a staple event of the community. The festival had to be moved from its usual location in downtown because of the ever-changing nature of the COVID-19 restrictions. Usually, food and craft vendors are set up along King Street and Earl Street as a single stretch. At the fairgrounds, tents and tables were set up in several rows, where music and the smell of freshly cooked food wafted through the air. However, according to Michael Smith, the vice president for the corn festival, turnout from the community
and from vendors was at the same level as the past several years. Throughout the day, a variety of entertainment was provided for guests who attended the festival. Despite the temperature reaching the low 90s, throngs of attendees walked up and down the rows of tents. Local talent such as Hemlock Hollow, Mid Life Crisis, and the Shippensburg University Marching Band all performed, along with many other unique acts. The Corn Festival is always held on the last Saturday in August, and next year’s festival will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27.