March 17, 2020 - Utah Statesman - Utah State University

Week of March 17, 2020 www.usustatesman.com (435) 797-1742 TSC Room 118 Free single copy

so·cial dis·tance noun

1. the perceived or desired degree of remoteness between a member of one social group and the members of another, as evidenced in the level of intimacy tolerated between them.

Example: “The university will otherwise remain open and employees will continue business as usual as much as possible, with an emphasis on social distancing.”

How COVID-19 is affecting campus life — and the world

PAGE 2

WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020

NEWS

‘It definitely feels emptier than normal.’

By Alison Berg NEWS CONTENT MANAGER

Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series documenting campus growing emptier by the week.

It’s 12:03 p.m. on Friday.

As the sun beats down and a slight breeze stirs the 54-degree

March day, four students stand on the Utah State University quad passing around a football.

The quad sits between six campus buildings and, on days like

Friday where the weather climbs above 45 degrees, is packed

with students studying, playing games, socializing and enjoying the sun — especially around noon.

But after a series of emails telling students all campus events

until April 8 would be canceled, and classes would be moved on-

line due to a potential COVID-19 outbreak, a normally crowded

campus of at least 20,000 students shrank to sparse groups of students spread out through the 450-acre campus.

Emily Harris, Renae Curtis and Sarah Flint sat at a table in the

TSC Hub — USU’s food court. On another Friday at this time, one would be hard-pressed to find a spot.

But on this day, the three friends sat at a table with no one in a

20-foot vicinity of them.

“It doesn’t feel real,” said Harris, a sophomore studying elemen-

tary education. “The virus thing feels like a fever dream. It doesn’t feel real.”

The three students were among the few on campus Friday af-

ter the series of coronavirus announcements. While campus was

noticeably emptier, many students continued their daily routines -- minus attending classes.

Homework at the library, hot chocolate at the Quadside Cafe and

dining at the Aggie Marketplace were all part of Danielle Weinerman’s everyday life.

Fears of catching or spreading a virus and warnings to avoid

large crowds didn’t stop her from an afternoon visit to the Marketplace.

“It definitely feels emptier than normal,” Weinerman said. The

Marketplace was about half full, which an employee said is “pretty standard” for a Friday at 3 p.m.

Weinerman is a freshman living in the Living Learning Commu-

nity on campus. Her diet revolves around her campus meal plan, and she “hasn’t figured out” what she’ll do if USU Dining Services closes their operations.

“I can go grocery shopping and home (Pleasant Grove) isn’t too

far, but I haven’t really thought about it,” she said.

USU Dining Services director Alan Anderson did not immedi-

PHOTO BY Savy Knapp One Utah State University student sits alone in the Taggart Student Center Hub studying on her lap top. The student was one of just a few in the Hub on Friday, March 13, just two days after all students received an announcement that their classes would be temporarily canceled and then moved online.

ately return a request for comment, but dining services locations

— which include all campus cafes, dining halls and concession stands — were open during normal business hours Monday.

Additionally, USU emailed all students Monday asking on-cam-

pus residents to “return to their permanent homes,” and alert-

ing students the Aggie Recreation Center and Fieldhouse will be closed beginning Tuesday.

Students should expect tuition increase in 2020-2021

STATESMAN FILE PHOTO

President Noelle Cockett speaks to students at Truth in Tuition.

By Taylor Cripe NEWS STAFF WRITER

Students should expect a 2.8 percent increase in their tuition,

Utah State University President Noelle Cockett said at a town hall in the Taggart Student Center Ballroom Wednesday morning.

The meeting was held just hours before the university shut down

many of its facilities due to the Coronavirus Disease or COVID-19.

This will be the fourth year in a row USU has raised tuition,

following a 3.1 percent increase for the 2019 to 2020 school year.

However, USU Student Association Executive Council President Sami Ahmed stressed there is some misunderstanding surrounding the process of raising tuition.

“I think some of the misunderstanding we have about tuition

is we think it’s university administrators sitting in a room going,

‘Where can we go on vacation this year, let’s raise tuition,’” Ahmed said. “As we’ll see, that’s really not true.”

The meeting, which was broadcasted for USU campuses state-

wide, was focused on transparency and informing students about what’s happening to their tuition dollars. A tuition meeting is required by the state, Cockett said. She also said any public insti-

tution planning to raise costs must explain their decision-making process.

Tuition increases will be $91 a semester for students with resi-

dency. Current resident tuition is $3,274. Increases for non-resi-

dents will be $295 a semester. Non-resident tuition is currently $10,543.

“If you look at this year’s percentage of 2.8, you see this is the

lowest increase in 20 years,” Cockett said. “This is the lowest increase we’ve ever done.”

Tuition increases will be used for USU salary increases, faculty

promotions, internal service fees and need-based scholarships.

The biggest plot of money will be going toward salaries for fac-

ulty, advisors and facilities. According to Cockett, the state legis-

lature decides how much state employees can earn as an increase.

However, the state only provides 75 percent of the funding for higher education salary increases and asks colleges and universities to take 25 percent of salary increases out of tuition.

Lake said one of his initiatives as chairman of the University Stu-

dent Fee Board for 2019 to 2020 year was to make fees easily

visible for students. As a result, he helped create a student fee page under the “MyUSU” portal.

“We are making great strides in making student fees more trans-

parent,” he said.

USU freshman Kaylee Loveridge said she felt like Cockett cov-

The second big expense will go toward promotions, which is

ered everything she wanted to know and the presentation was

two times in a professor’s career that they are actually promoted,

“As much as I don’t want tuition raised, I can understand the

not covered by the state, Cockett said. She added there are only which is why it’s essential they get those raises.

“We want to reward and adjust their salary to say, ‘You are tru-

ly someone we want, we respect and we value,’” Cockett said.

helpful.

importance of salary raises and stuff like that,” Loveridge said. “I would want that as an employee.”

Loveridge said she would point out how important promotions

“These are very big moments in our faculty’s lives.”

are to other students who might be angry at the increase, and

the state legislature. The internal service fee, or Utah’s risk man-

funding.

The third expense, the internal service fee, is also not covered by

agement office, is USU’s insurance policy. “Just like all insurance companies, from time to time, they raise the premiums,” Cockett said. “That is what’s happening to us this year.”

how the school shouldn’t want professors to leave over lack of

Students in USU Eastern, Moab and Blanding campuses will also

get a 2.8 percent increase.

However, students with 65 or fewer credits on those campuses

The final expense, need-based scholarships, was “a hard lesson,”

will get a 3.5 percent increase, resulting in a $61 change for res-

“When you raise tuition, if you don’t add more money to the

age is to compensate for the fact that tuition in Eastern, Moab and

she said.

scholarship budget, need-based students will not be covered,” Cockett said. As a result, USU is now hoping to backtrack and fully fund scholarships that didn’t get funding in the past.

USUSA Executive Council Vice President Dexton Lake also pre-

sented an increase in student fees for the 2020 to 2021 school

year. The fees include a $1 per student increase that will go toward the library, a 49 cent increase for Counseling and Psycho-

logical Services and a $2.97 increase for the Student Health and Wellness Center.

idents, and a $183 change for non-residents. The higher percentBlanding is nearly half of USU.

The final decision on tuition increases will be made by the Utah

State Board of Regents on March 26.

— taylorcripe@gmail.com @cripe_taylor

0WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020

PAGE 3

STUDENT LIFE

Students react:

Universities worldwide shut down due to COVID-19

By Sydney Dahle STUDENT LIFE CONTENT MANAGER

Schools all over the world are becoming ghost

towns. All of this because of the rapid transmission of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the latest global pandemic that has sent the world into a panic.

@billye_wilson

On Thursday, Utah State University joined the

increasing number of schools taking preventative measures when president Noelle Cockett

#QuarantineAndChill would be trending lmaooo

after March 10, as well as cancel all events and

@GuymonKimberly

8. On Monday, an email from the Divison of

All of my reading of YA dystopian novels when I was 12 has prepared me for 2020

announced USU will switch to online classes

suspend university travel through at least April Student Affairs encouraged students living on campus to return home.

@andisthinks

USU is not alone in these steps. Other schools,

like Harvard and Stanford universities, have told students to leave campus entirely.

Niyonta Chowdhury-Magana, a USU student,

explained her frustrations about having to cancel the events she co-organized. “The Interna-

tional Banquet, The Bengali New Year, Bangla-

desh Education Night, Global Picnic. Canceled,” Chowdhury-Magana said. “My radio show I had already prepared episodes for got canceled.

Six organizational weekly/monthly meetings

I’m part of got canceled. Events I was looking

forward to — Powwow, Fiestas Americas, Aggie Radio events — all canceled. ”

At the University of Missouri, junior Evie

Stone was forced to come home from her study abroad in Japan early, despite classes at Sophia University continuing.

Universities across the globe are switching to online classes to help prevent the spead of COVID-19.

“Mizzou is choosing to cancel my classes and

force me to take an involuntary gap semester,

which will cost me thousands of dollars in tui-

PHOTO COURTESY Pexels

trains are crowded instead of traveling downtown.”

Shannon Hussey, a Southeast Missouri State

tion and fees that I can only assume they do not

student, is in a similar situation. Her study

reach out to me to ask about how I was feeling

have the needed credits to graduate early.

plan on reimbursing.” Stone said. “They didn’t about the conditions over here, or what I felt

abroad has been canceled, meaning she won’t “The university has left a lot of student work-

was in my best interest; they made a blanket

ers in the dark. I don’t think they realize that

good in my case. I live 95% of my day the same

said.

decision that is causing much more harm than

as I did before coronavirus, the other 5% being

if we don’t work, we can pay the rent,” Hussey

see “Students react“ PAGE 6

that I choose to eat near my house when the

How immunocompromised students are protecting themselves from COVID-19

PHOTO COURTESY OF Darcy Ritchie

Julia Chilvers, pictured one from the right, spending time with her friends at an Aggie football game.

By Darcy Ritchie STUDENT LIFE STAFF WRITER

Julia Chilvers is a student at Utah State Uni-

versity receiving chemotherapy treatment for

juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The coronavirus poses a much more serious threat for Chilvers compared to other students.

“[Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis] is an autoim-

mune disease, and the chemotherapy lowers my immune system, so I have a harder time

fighting disease,” Chilvers said. “I can’t fight off even just a common cold.”

As someone especially at risk during this

pandemic, Chilvers has been closely controlling

mised student at USU. Griffiths has Hashimoto’s

“It’s important to take precautions to protect

relies on the preventative actions of other

her immune system to attack her thyroid gland.

come in contact with.”

who she comes into contact with. Her health students.

“Always wash your hands. Use hand sanitizer.

Make sure if you are sick to just stay home,”

Chilvers advised. “It just puts others at risk.”

thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that causes “My immune system is already in panic mode

at all times,” Griffiths said. “That’s why it’s harder when I get sick.”

Griffiths stated that students tend to dismiss

Chilvers wishes students would take the risk of

the severity of the virus due to its high recovery

“Don’t take it as a joke anymore. It’s really

for those who are immunocompromised.

the virus more seriously.

important for others to be as safe and healthy because I’m doing all I can do,” Chilvers said.

“I’m really relying on others to also do that.”

Brynn Griffiths is another immunocompro-

rate for young people, which can be dangerous “The virus may not seem like a big deal to

you personally. However, I guarantee that

every person has somebody in their life who is

immunocompromised or elderly,” Griffiths said.

yourself, but also to protect the people that you USU has cancelled all university events and

travel until April 8 and moved classes online to support the efforts of public health officials in slowing the spread of COVID-19.

In a press conference Thursday, March 12, uni-

versity president Noelle E. Cockett addressed

USU’s decision to take these preemptive measures to slow the spread of disease.

“We are working toward implementing actions

see “Compromised“ PAGE 6

PAGE 4

WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020

SPORTS

‘In the blink of an eye’

v

c

An early end to a great season — and several seniors’ tenure with the Aggies

w

c

c

h

the season was the March 7 win over San Diego in

Las Vegas that almost didn’t happen. A scheduling conflict at the Thomas & Mack Center pushed the

weeks ago that there was not gonna be a Marchp Madness tournament, I cannot imagine a better

cellations to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

such a good way.”

MWC tournament up a week — just before can-

“This is the one year in 10 years that the Moun-

The adversity faced just to get to that game, and

that he earned and wins that he helped earn, giveT

win all the better for the seniors.

“I wasn’t sure I thought we could do it — to be

able to beat a team like that and finish the way we did,” Merrill said, “I know that a lot of people,

The Utah State men’s basketball team’s aspira-

tions for a magical run in the NCAA tournament

faded away quicker than one can say, “This is

March,” as it was announced Thursday that due

to the COVID-19 pandemic the men’s and wom-

en’s basketball tournaments — along with all

other NCAA activities for the spring — were can-

celed. The abrupt end to the season also meant

an abrupt end to the college careers of Sam Mer-

rill and Diogo Brito. But it wasn’t before their

2-year run that brought Aggie basketball back to

prominence ended with their own “one shining

moment,” despite the cancellation of the NCAA

tournament.

The initial shock of the tournament’s cancella-

tion and the season ending was devastating for

the seniors.

“The turn of events just happened in a blink of

an eye,” said senior guard Diogo Brito. “To just

terminate the season there, it was really hard. I

was just not ready for it.”

Senior guard Sam Merrill agreed.

“It was tough, not only knowing that we weren’t

Morrill — the coach from 1998 to 2015 — amassing 402 wins, including seven conference cham-

pionships, eight NCAA tournament appearances and 14 straight 20-win seasons, from 1999-00 all the way to the 2012-13 season.

In 2013, the Aggies joined the Mountain West

conference, a deeper and more talented league than USU had ever been in. Morrill would coach

two seasons in the Mountain West where he strug-

gled to win, before he retired. His replacement, Tim Duryea, struggled even more in his three sea-

sons as coach, having a 47-49 record and no 20-

win seasons. After years of winning and success, the Aggie basketball program was mediocre.

So as Merrill and Brito began their junior season

Mexico.”

to happen,” Merrill said.

Utah State has a proud basketball history, with

(including this year) 22 NCAA tournament ap-

pearances and 17 conference championships.

win in program history. And to do it on that stage, to punch a ticket to the dance with a game-win-

ning Sam Merrill-dagger — and especially with

cluding the 2018-19 season win over Nevada and

the 2019-20 wins over LSU, Florida and New Mex-

ico. “I know there’s a lot of things that I will forever remember and will always hold dear,” he said.

The two will move on with their lives — both

what we know now, with it being the last shot he

hoping to have successful professional careers —

win in school history.

spent it with is something they will treasure forev-

ever took as an Aggie — may just make it the best “Just rewatching the game or looking back at

highlights, and right next to SDSU there’s a 30-1,

but their time at Utah State and the people they er, in their words.

“I felt like we grew together and we did this to-

and it’s just like — they were so good,” Merrill

gether,” Merrill said of Brito and Abel Porter. “[We]

real, they just had everything...In hindsight, and

I’m gonna miss those guys for sure.”

said. “They had a real chance to win it all, like for knowing what we know, you couldn’t ask for a better way to go out.”

Brito agreed.

have put a ton of work and had so much fun and

@jacobnielson12

their winning ways.

Winning a share of the conference title last year,

pionships and NCAA tournament appearances, “We worked so hard as a group and as a team to

Smith and the staff and these fans, it’s something

back to Utah State.”

The win over the previously one-loss Aztecs tied

a 1960 win over No. 5 Utah as the highest ranked

his career. As a junior and senior, his team went an

out to flip the script and bring the Aggies back to

over, and some are asking what contributions did

— I played a small part in helping Utah State get

astounding 28-0 when he scored double digits, in-

“We beat the No. 5 team in the country,” he said.

preseason Mountain West ranking, the team set

get back to where we wanted to go,” Merrill said,

Merrill said, “For me, I just hope my legacy is

“It proves a lot about this team.”

With a new coach in Craig Smith and a No. 9

It is a harsh reality that these men’s time spent

legacy ultimately be?

the Aggies, proving he was a vital role player in

appearance dating back to the 2010-2011 season.

it’s safe to say that goal was accomplished.

they make to USU basketball, and what will their

Brito finished 10th all-time in games played for

thinks things came in full circle.

the Mountain West — and no NCAA tournament

later it finally hit that that was it, that my career

dawning an Aggie uniform is really over. But it is

but I’m not sure I ever thought was actually goingp

sons in which they failed to win 20 games — all in

and back-to-back conference tournament cham-

had just ended.”

announcer Scott Gerrard made that proclamationa after Merrill’s game-winner in Las Vegas. s

in 2018, this is what they faced: five straight sea-

going to play in the tournament and have that

opportunity,” Merrill said, “But about 30 minutes

some level of entrance into the discussion of them greatest Aggie of all-time. Utah State play-by-playt

“For anyone to say that, and for me to even be ins the conversation is something I dreamt of as a kid,

With all the ups and downs this season, Brito

Merrill was a kid going to Aggie games, with Stew

Utah State history. The buckets Merrill hit, the statsg

I know that a lot of our fans lost faith in us after

we lost four out of five and then lost again at New

By Jacob Nielson SPORTS STAFF WRITER

s Merrill will finish his Aggie career with 2,197i

points all-time, second most in Mountain West ands

the way the team managed to win it, made the

They were especially impressive during the years

way of finishing the season,” he said. “It ended int

tain West has moved their tournament up and turns out it was a blessing for us,” Merrill said.

PHOTO by Isaac Brekken/AP Photo Senior guard Diogo Brito celebrates with head coach Craig Smith and teammate Alphonso Anderson after the MW title game on March 7.

“This is the way I’m gonna put it: If we knew twow

“and to have been able to do that with Coach that I’ll never forget.”

Beating both No. 12 Nevada and San Diego

State in Brito and Merrill’s junior years, then this season — beating two teams that would have

made the tournament, Louisiana State University

and Florida, were marquee victories not soon to be forgotten in Cache Valley.

But what some consider the crowning jewel of

Utah State senior guard Sam Merrill smiles during the team’s game against New Mexico on March 5.

PHOTO by Chantelle McCall

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0WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020

PAGE 5

NCAA and MW cancel spring season

By Dalton Renshaw SPORTS CONTENT MANAGER

Thursday, the Mountain West announced

via a press release that all spring sports are

canceled, effective immediately, including

winter championships. The NCAA has also

cancelled the men’s and women’s basketball

championships, which Utah State University had earned an automatic bid to compete in.

THE MOUNTAIN WEST

According to the release, the Mountain West

owill be taking precautionary measures to hprevent the spread of COVID-19.

r “Given the current status of COVID-19, nthe Mountain West Board of Directors has

suspended all spring sport competitions 7indefinitely. The health and well-being of

dstudent-athletes, as well as the campus and sgeneral communities, is of utmost priority.

eTherefore, the Board has determined the emost prudent course of action is to align with

ythe recommendations of public health care nand government officials to help limit the

spread of the virus,” the conference said in a nstatement.

, Teams that are currently on the road are gpermitted to return home when their compe-

tition is over, but may finish out the series.

Any teams that have yet to depart have been ordered to suspend travel immediately.

Currently, men’s tennis, women’s tennis,

outdoor track and field, softball, gymnastics

and men’s golf are all in season and were all set to compete in the next two weeks.

THE NCAA

On Friday, the conference released a state-

ment which outlined its plans to offer spring sport athletes “eligibility relief” for all Division I student-athletes who participated in

spring sports. Further saying, “Details of eligibility relief will be finalized at a later time.”

Thursday, NCAA President Mark Emmert and

the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tour-

naments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships.

Only a couple hours after the Mountain West

decided to suspend activities, the NCAA made the decision to cancel all spring championships, taking the decision out of the hands

of the Universities on whether or not their

teams would compete. It was previously stated by the Mountain West in its press release, that it would be left to “institutional discretion” on if they would compete.

The National office of the NCAA is shown in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 12, 2020.

The Utah State men’s basketball team se-

cured an automatic bid to the NCAA tourna-

ment by winning the Mountain West Tourna-

ment on Saturday, defeating No. 5 San Diego

PHOTO by AP Photo/Michael Conroy

State to take the crown. The team ends the season with a 26-8 record.

@dren_sports

r

n

-

d

-

r

How has Coronavirus affected the world of sports?

A timeline of events that were postponed or canceled due to COVID-19

h

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y

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]

d

Photo by Chantelle McCall

PAGE 6 “Students React” FROM PAGE 3 In addition, Hussey has type 1 diabetes, which makes her a

high-risk patient if she were to test positive with the virus.

“It’s scary to think that either my friends or I could show any

symptoms and quite literally die,” Hussey said.

At Whittier College in California, senior Isabella Zonni was told

that classes would not resume after spring break, which she and her peers are currently on.

“I was supposed to be flying out to Europe, which won’t be

happening anytime soon,” Zonni said.

The University of Texas at Austin just extended spring break by

a week and is going fully online, encouraging students who can to leave campus. At the University of Dayton in Ohio, students were seemingly protesting the changes by standing on top of

cars and throwing objects at police. According to Flyer News,

Dayton’s student paper, it was not a protest, but “one last party” before the campus closed down. On the opposite end of the

spectrum is Harvard University, which is forcing students to

WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020 leave campus, including student housing, by March 15.

either.

Harvard’s school paper The Crimson he would be in a similar

handling it well,” Renner said. “They’re taking action early

Satoshi Yanaizu, an international student from Japan, told

situation even if he did leave campus.

“The town I’m from, we have like 70 cases already, the same as

“The cases are increasing every single day, but I think they’re

instead of waiting for it to get worse.”

Erica Williams attends the University of Hertfordshire in Hat-

the entire state of Massachusetts,” Yanaizu said. “If I go back, I

field, England, where there will be no classes until after Easter

even worse.”

as of Monday.

have no guarantee I will be in a safer environment, It might be In addition to international students, low-income students

as cases across the U.K. have increased to 1,391 with 35 deaths While panicked citizens are out buying hand sanitizer and

are also being affected. The Crimson recorded that nearly 20%

toilet paper in bulk, students at universities across the world

transportation home, and finding temporary housing or plac-

connected and help those who need it most.

of students are on full financial aid. The sudden need to find

es to store their belongings will be difficult, if not impossible.

Fortunately, Havard students have taken matters into their own

hands and have started working on finding classmates places to

are being affected in similar ways. Now is the time to stay alert,

@dillydahle

stay and offering rides if needed.

On the other side of the world is Austrian senior Gretta Renner.

The government came in and shut down all universities without warning, giving the staff very little time to prepare. Not only

can people not enter the campuses, but students are not leaving

“Compromised” FROM PAGE 3 rather than wishing we had been implementing more precau-

tions,” Cockett said.

Griffiths has mixed feelings about the university’s course of

action, but she recognized the benefit for immunocompromised students like herself.

“I think it’s very inconvenient in some ways, and makes the

semester feel kind of empty. However, I feel safer knowing that

I can complete my classes from home and ensure that I can control the environment and protect myself,” Griffiths said. “I think it sucks, but I am glad that the university was willing to make that decision to protect the students.”

—darcy.ritchie@aggiemail.usu.edu @darcyrrose

@UtahStatesman

2

(your brain) 2 It’s science. Read more, get smart. usustatesman.com UtahStatesman web print

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0WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020

PAGE 7

EMPTY The Taggart Student Center, usually bustling with students, was quiet on Monday, following precuations announced to prevent COVID-19.

Photos by Savy Knapp

you are what you read

We’ve got your back. usustatesman.com

UtahStatesman web print

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PAGE 8

WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020

OPINION

GRAPHIC CREATED BY Keith Wilson

CLOSED BY CORONAVIRUS

This graphic does not necessarily reflect the opinions of its designer. Additionally, the opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the designer’s, either.

By Scott Froehlich OPINION COLUMNIST

tions, rather than wishing we had been implement-

than one-third of the nation’s coronavirus cases,”

ment programs, etc.) the college will create alter-

Whether you are excited or agitated by this news,

However, it wouldn’t take much for a small town

What is important to recognize is that USU, in coor-

ing more precautions.”

Why Utah State’s response to the COVID-19 pan-

demic was justified

In case you have been living in a bubble, Utah

State University, along with other colleges and

schools around Utah, recently took precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. On that note,

if you have been living in a bubble, then consider yourself ahead of the curve.

The actions taken by USU since March 11 in-

cluded canceling all on-campus events, canceling

non-essential travel and announcing a transition

from in-person instruction to online classes for the remainder of the semester. The commencement cer-

emony for 2020 graduates is still up in the air, with a decision coming April 1.

President Noelle Cockett assured students that the

university is “working toward implementing ac-

the university took appropriate action and has the best interest of students in mind.

When the university made its decision, the cases

according to a recent article in the New York Times.

like Logan to see a drastically exponential outbreak

dination with the state of Utah, takes this pandemic

Numbers aside, it was crucial for USU to be pro-

during an address to the state, saying that “Utah is

if someone does contract COVID-19.

of COVID-19 in Utah seemed relatively low and far

active in protecting its biggest assets: the students.

Lake City and Summit County. However, when tak-

any given day, a single instance could spread like a

from Logan, with the numbers split between Salt ing into account the number of infections across the country and the rate by which they have grown, the

question isn’t if the virus would spread in Utah — but when.

And it didn’t take long.

At the time of this article’s publishing, the num-

ber of patients infected with COVID-19 in Utah is 21, with the latest diagnoses marking the first com-

munity transmissions in the state. On the surface, it doesn’t seem as dire compared to, say, California or New York, whose total cases “account for more

native assignments to compensate for those classes.

With the amount of people who attend classes on wildfire, and we would be on full lockdown. Sure,

it will be unfortunate to have to sacrifice campus

events, as well as athletic activities, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

There is good news for Aggie students as some fa-

cilities on USU’s campus will remain open, which

means people will have access to the library and TSC.

Although the transition to online-only classes will

affect many students with non-traditional course curriculum (off-campus internships, work place-

seriously. Gov. Gary Herbert echoed this sentiment

a proactive state, and a prepared state.” Students

also must realize that there is an abundance of mis-

information regarding the gravity of the situation.

Many government and medical websites have ded-

icated their time to provide accurate and extensive

information to the public. So while you are holed up

in your dorm, apartment or other form of housing,

take advantage of those resources and practice safe

social distancing. It may not seem like it now, but

these are the steps we need to take in order to ensure everyone is prepared for the worst.

Scott Froehlich is a junior who is studying print jour-

nalism.

What a global pandemic can tell us about ourselves

By Taelor Candiloro OPINION EDITOR

Editor’s note: This column was

pared down for the print edition.

To read the full article, go to the Utah Statesman’s website.

It’s a question we all want the

answer to. What will happen with the coronavirus?

We crave the power of proac-

tivity that information affords us over our futures. But the rapid

spread of a global pandemic is quickly revealing to us that pro-

activity starts long before the first case is discovered.

Other countries have been ac-

tive in combating the spread for weeks now. Testing in South

Korea has not hampered public movement too much, but has in-

stead provided the government

this stimulates our economy, but

control of organizing a pandemic

guage into a $8.3 billion spend-

pay for it?”

on how the virus transmits, what

testing more available? Unironi-

they were waiting for the private

government intervention in the

nist movements of the 1960s ar-

ing the vaccines or drugs — de-

personal is political.’ We are not

with much-needed information works and what doesn’t as far as preventative measures and what a potential vaccine would need to be successful. Its ability to quick-

ly address and slow the spread

of coronavirus is attributed to its single-payer healthcare system,

something professor of Health Care Management at Berkeley Stephen Shortell identified as a

key distinguisher between the

does it save lives? Does it make cally, in a congressional testimony given last week, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) Director Robert Redfield defended the lack of agency

proactivity by stating: “I guess I anticipated that the private sec-

tor would have engaged.” But it hasn't. Mostly because it’s not really the private sector’s job.

perity is allocated to protect cor-

porate shareholders. Sure, you

could make the argument that

Republic remarked with snark: “How odd that these companies, whose only responsibility is to

children and families. It can fill the void made present by the lack

of universal healthcare. However, instead of working with

lawmakers to combat the crisis, our government officials most in

ing package that would prohibit case that companies were keepveloped with taxpayer money —

behind a paywall too high for the average American to climb.

When Bernie Sanders suggests

their shareholders, had failed to

that Medicare for All would allo-

this administration.”

man dignity, to the 27.5 million

make up for the incompetence of World nations are already la-

us more vulnerable than other

workers and allocate benefits to

virus, short-term economic pros-

ence, Alex Pereene of The New

testing, protect public health

Economic relief is, apparently,

While Americans die of corona-

absence of corporate interfer-

beling our pitfalls as symptoms

provide paid leave, establish free

not for those most vulnerable.

sector to intervene. In the logical

Legislation has the ability to

U.S. and other developed nations.

response openly admitted that

of systemic problems that leave

countries. Not only have the requirements for coronavirus test-

ing hindered our progress toward assessing the scope of infection here at home, but pharmaceuti-

cal companies and their lobbyists have worked hard to insert lan-

cate not only opportunity, but hupeople operating without health

insurance in America, he is often met with a barrage of questions about payment. However, when corporate interests see a dip due

to the administration’s failings to cope, they are met with over $1

trillion in stimulus, not questions.

Where are the droves of moderates who declared during this pri-

mary season, “But, how will we

Second- and third-wave femi-

ticulated this tension for us: ‘the

only our politics, but we are also the fallout we reap when our pol-

icies fail us. So, when it comes to coronavirus, what will happen is already happening. We are being

forced to reckon with decades of legislative movements and so-

ciopolitical paradigms that have placed us in this very position,

and the questions we choose to ask ourselves will drastically

change the political landscape in this country as we know it.

Taelor Candiloro is an under-

graduate transfer to the Anthropology department at USU.

0WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020

PAGE 9

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PAGE 10

WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2020

Letter from the editor

Dear Aggie family, First of all, thank you for spending your time reading and in-

teracting with the Utah Statesman. We could not do what we do

without our readers, and we hope you will continue to engage in the public sphere with us.

As you know, this past week has been full of rapidly changing cir-

cumstances and daily (sometimes hourly) updates. These changes

have affected members of the USU community, including those at USU Student Media. Due to these changes, the Statesman will be making some adjustments moving forward.

Following this edition, the Utah Statesman will become a dig-

ital-only publication for the time being. This does not mean we will produce less content, it just means it will be distributed through different means.

To stay up to date on campus news, please check our website,

www.usustatesman.com. This site will be updated regularly to ensure our readers have the most recent news and information. You

can also sign up for our email newsletter on the site by hovering

over “Contact Us” and clicking “Subscribe!” Be sure to follow us on social media, too, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

We hope you will continue to share your thoughts and stay in-

formed as we press through this time of difficulty and uncertainty.

Stay safe and go Aggies!

Sincerely,

Alek Nelson

Utah Statesman Managing Editor

A true Scotsman washes his hands. USU shared this graphic on social media.

GRAPHIC COURTESY Utah State University