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NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT · FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020 · VOL. CXLIII, NO. 5 · yaledailynews.com
Webcasts wrap up 150th anniversary of women at Yale BY MARIA FERNANDA PACHECO STAFF REPORTER
COURTESY OF MARA LAVITT
The yearlong 50WomenAtYale150 initiative culminated in a historic series of webcasts featuring Yale alumni from diverse backgrounds, fields and experiences.
Yale Club engages members virtually
This weekend, a historic series of webcasts concluded the yearlong 50WomenAtYale150 initiative, a program launched to celebrate 150 years since women were first admitted into Yale University and 50 years since the beginning of undergraduate co-education at Yale College. The commemorations, originally intended to be held at the Schwarzman Center, were livestreamed between Sept. 24 and Sept. 27. They featured Yale alumni hailing from a vast diversity of backgrounds, fields and experiences. Among the invited speakers were former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton LAW ’73, Academy Award winner Jodie Foster ’85 and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador and poet Emi SEE 50Y150 PAGE 4
City honors William Lanson
COURTESY OF STUART SEMMEL
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Yale Club of New York City, a private clubhouse for Yale alumni and affiliates, had to close its physical location. BY MADISON HAHAMY STAFF REPORTER Although the Yale Club of New York City, a private clubhouse for Yale alumni and affiliates, has temporarily closed in light of
the coronavirus pandemic, the club has found ways to engage its members in virtual formats. The Yale Club of New York City closed its physical location on March 20 in order to adhere to the health and safety guide-
On-campus sophomores navigate new housing situation JORDAN FITZGERALD CONTRIBUTING REPORTER With the class of 2024 living in their residential colleges, on-campus
sophomores have found an unlikely home in the Lanman-Wright Hall courtyard on Old Campus. SEE SOPHOMORE PAGE 5
ZOE BERG/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Benjamin Franklin, Pauli Murray, Silliman and Timothy Dwight colleges are offering their sophomores the chance to move back behind college gates.
lines surrounding COVID-19. This meant that its 3 restaurants, 138 guest rooms, fitness facilities, library, banquet rooms and more are inaccessible to the Club’s SEE CLUB PAGE 4
BY SIMISOLA FAGBEMI CONTRIBUTING REPORTER This weekend, the Elm City dedicated a new statue on Farmington Canal to William Lanson — a prominent 19th century Black engineer, entrepreneur and civil rights activist from New Haven.
On Saturday morning, city leaders and community members gathered at the Farmington Canal Trail to unveil a 7-foot bronze statue commemorating the life and legacy of Lanson. Oakland-based sculptor Dana King created the statue as part of an effort SEE LANSON PAGE 5
Students detail mental health concerns BY ROSE HOROWITCH STAFF REPORTER
“One of the consequences of having untreated mental health issues is it’s often hard to take the initiative to reboot mental health treatment when one is not receiving treatment,” Gigante told the News. “As somebody who has benefited a lot from regular mental health treatment, losing that at a time when
mental health became more difficult certainly made an already difficult time worse.” Along with the physical health challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the past few months have heightened the need for mental
When the pandemic hit and students went home, Scott Gigante’s GRD ’23 weekly group therapy sessions were cancelled. Six months later, they have yet to start back up. SEE MENTALHEALTH PAGE 5 Amidst the confusion, Gigante also lost touch with the individual counselor from Yale Health he was seeing on a biweekly basis. It took about two or three phone calls and three to four months for Gigante to hear from his counselor again. Last week, Yale Mental Health and Counseling announced plans to be more accessible to students. The Yale College Council and YMHC unveiled a joint initiative to increase access to mental health care. In the coming weeks, students can request sameday intake appointment times on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The clinician that evaluates them will remain their contact person until they are assigned a new counselor. YASMINE HALMANE/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER But Gigante did not have access to these new reforms during the Yale Mental Health and Counseling last week unveiled a joint initiative with the Yale College Council to increase access to mental health care. past summer.
CROSS CAMPUS
INSIDE THE NEWS
THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY 1967.
SCIENTIST
A campus organization named the Yale Draft Refusal Committee distributes a "We Won't Go" pledge to students and faculty under the age of 35. An excerpt of this pledge reads, "We … believe that the United States is waging an unjust war in Vietnam. We cannot in conscience participate."
A new statue now stands on Farmington Canal. It is dedicated to William Lanson — a prominent 19th century Black engineer, entrepreneur and civil rights activist.
Three Yale affiliates have been named as two of the 100 most inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists in America by Cell Mentor in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Page 3 UNIVERSITY
ART
An indefinite closure of art studios, labs and museums forced art professors and students to rethink how they teach, create and share their work. Page 7 ARTS
BRAIN
Yale researchers found that the coronavirus can directly infect brain cells, potentially eliciting neurological symptoms observed in 40 to 60 percent of COVID-19 patients. Page 8 SCITECH
ATHLETE
In Phase I of the Ivy League's reopening plan, studentathletes can now engage in up to an hour a day of training compliant with social distancing measures. Page 10 SPORTS