WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan VOLUME 111 | ISSUE 8
COVID-19 Tracker p. 2 University Officials Spend Time Off Campus to Reinforce Guidelines p. 3
STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916
University Begins Coronavirus Surveillance Testing for Students and Members of the Community
University Graduate Loses Bid for Commutation in Recent Case p. 3 New Title IX Regulations Take Effect at the University p. 4 Letter from the Editors: No More Parties in Radnor p. 5 Letter to the Editors: 9/11 — A Moment of Silence and Love p. 5 Ending Police Brutality Starts with Accountability p. 6 Rosie’s Coffee at Villanova Station: A Hidden Gem p. 7 Foreign Foodies Feature p. 7 Body Image and Disordered Eating p. 8 Quaran-Streaming p. 9 Club Spotlight: IHC p. 9 Jay Wright to Stay at Villanova p. 10 Lincoln Financial Field to Become Polling Center p. 11
Emily Cox Co-Editor-in-Chief Prior to the University reopening for the fall semester, more than 10,000 students, faculty and staff were sent kits to administer at-home COVID-19 tests. After three weeks on campus, members of the community received an email on Friday, Sept. 4 from University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, PhD, O.S.A., announcing the addition of COVID-19 surveillance testing to the University’s already established testing strategy. “Our goal is to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our campus community,” Dr. Mary McGonigle, Director of the University Health Center, said in an interview with The Villanovan. “That is our underlying goal for all the decisions we are making. We are asking the community to follow safety measures... so, we look at these measures as tools in the box. As management of the virus evolves in medicine, we are evolving with the process to keep our campus safe.” Testing began Tuesday, Sept. 7 and will continue through the end of the semester. Participants will be randomly selected for testing. The tests, which are highly sensitive, non-invasive and saliva-based, will be administered daily in the lobby of the Finneran Pavilion each morning. Test results will be available within 48 hours, and the testing data
the surveillance tests, which at 1% of our community, is about 125 tests per day. We do expect an uptick in positive cases and we have prepared for that.” For the past three weeks, the University has only administered tests to people who had COVID-19-related symptoms or who were close contacts. “That’s a skewed group of people,” Stack said. “It doesn’t tell you how the virus has spread in the community...so the numbers there won’t really give you an accurate picture, whereas with the random testing, we will get a better picture of the whole spread.” The University’s COVID-19 dashboard will evolve in the coming days to include the number of tests administered each day, which will be broken down into the number of diagnostic tests and surveillance tests adminOne student passes by St. Thomas of Villanova Church at sunset. istered. Both McGonigle and Courtesy of The Villanovan Stack agreed that it was a natural fit for the University will be included on the daily up and running.” to adjust the dashboard as COVID-19 dashboard. Going forward, a testing evolves. “The testing [from random selection of 1% will Whether the UniverQuest Diagnostics] we had be brought in each day. That sity remains open or seeks when we opened the doors, group will include students, a path of closure or camwas very expensive, and to faculty and staff. pus-wide quarantine if clusdo surveillance testing is also The University ters arise rests on the Health very expensive, but at the will be working with Vault Center’s ability to manage same time, there is a lot being Health, which works closely cases, quarantine and isolasaid and written by experts in with a laboratory at Rutgers tion room availability and the field that surveillance test- University, to administer the personal responsibility of ing can help us get a handle these highly sensitive, salion the prevalence of the virus va-based tests. Proximity and community members to take and help us identify if there is timing were two main factors proper safety precautions. “I think one of the a part of the campus that has of this partnership. questions we have continued a higher percentage of peo“[The Vault test] also fit our to get from community memple who are testing positive, institution at this point in bers is about what exactly all with the goal of helping time because we could do a would have to happen before us mitigate the virus as much large number of tests, have we close,” Stack said. “It’s as possible,” Rev. John P. them couriered quickly to the just not easy to quantify. The Stack, O.S.A., Vice President lab and have the turnaround reality is, so far we are doing for Student Life, said in an time for the results within 48 pretty well with our resourcinterview with The Villanohours,” McGonigle said. es, with the preparations van. “It’s a decision — this is McGonigle addithe Health Center made all still expensive — but there is tionally noted that the Vault summer, like the space for some confidence that we’ve system is able to offer the quarantining. Everything is gotten off to a good start with University flexibility if there fairly good cooperation from are areas that show increased going fine, but that can all go away in one weekend where the students, and if this helps need for testing. us improve, all the better in With a random group [cases] could explode.” While the University terms of finishing the semes- selected each day for testing, has outlived many predictions ter.” in addition to the diagnostic that others made about how The goal of surveiltesting already performed at long campus would remain lance testing for the Univerthe Health Center for sympopen, there is no clear cut sity is to randomly test about tomatic patients and close answer for a case number 1% of the campus commucontacts, the University is that would deem a closure nity daily, Monday through prepared to see a rise in casthe only option. Friday. The Health Center es, as asymptomatic cases of “We aren’t going to hang our will continue to perform diCOVID-19 will likely begin hat on one number,” McGoagnostic testing and has rapid to appear. nigle said. “There are a lot testing capabilities. “To put numbers of metrics that we look at, “We did offer the in perspective, the Health and the leadership looks at a start of the [surveillance Center is still doing diagnoslot of metrics. What are our testing] program with the tic testing for symptomatic resources in the local hosnursing students, in regards students and for close conpital system? What are the to that it might be helpful to tacts of our symptomatic numbers in the surrounding them as they go into their students,” McGonigle said. counties? What is our case clinical sites at different hos“We’ve already performed, pitals,” McGonigle said. “At since the start of classes, over count and our ability to manage it? All these things go into the same time, they are help- 500 diagnostic tests. AddiContinued on p. 2 ing us in getting the program tionally, we are going to do
