Every day, new regulations and orders are enacted in states to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some states take a more financial approach, while others take a more social stance. As one may expect, the states with a high number of cases tend to use money to combat the spread of the disease. However, other states with a lower affected population use social measures like social distancing and stay-at-home orders as their way of combatting COVID-19. Uniquely, Utah has offered its appreciation to its Chinese population due to the overt discrimination against them due to the origin of this virus. Each state has made individual efforts while also watching and listening to what their neighboring states are doing. Here is a list of every states’ actions.
Telehealth is also an important concept that has arisen from this chaos. Telehealth allows patients to continue to meet with their doctors and physicians while still practicing social distancing. Not only can doctors see patients with COVID-19 with no fear of contraction, but patients can also still attend physical therapy appointments, counseling appointments, and more without the same fear. While only several states are using this program, the country hopes others will follow.
Due to the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Americans are urged to stay home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. President Trump extended guidelines to practice social distancing until April 30th, leaving many citizens unsure as to what the future holds. In this time of uncertainty, there are many activities people can do to be productive at home.
Physical activity like at-home workouts and yoga at home are ways to improve your health and elevate your energy levels. Exercising your brain is important, as well, and can be done by reading books and solving puzzles. Also, efforts around the house such as organizing and cleaning are a great use of this time spent at home.
An important thing to keep in mind is that it is okay to feel a loss of control right now, but you should try to not be too hard on yourself because this will pass and life will soon return to normal.
Blacksburg, Va., Feb 26 – SETTING UP SHOP: Foamo showed off its new location downtown at a grand opening on February 18. Photo: Sarah Carr
by Sarah Carr —
A cafe that once set up shop on Main Street, has now moved to a new location deeper into downtown Blacksburg.
Foamo Cafe owner and recent Virginia Tech graduate, Youssef Rhanime, says that there were multiple reasons for the sudden relocation.
“Families would be coming in with their kids and there was nowhere to sit. We were losing a lot of business because we couldn’t accommodate multiple people, so that was the initial reason I was looking for another spot,” said Rhanime.
He came across a location downtown that was perfect for a new raw juice and smoothie business concept he had in the works. That’s when it all clicked for Rhanime.
“I realized that the concept was so similar to what Foamo already does, so I might as well just move Foamo to the better location and kill two birds with one stone in terms of being able to add those things that I want to add.”
According to Restaurant Hospitality, two of the main reasons those in the food industry move their business is due to the desire for more space, or due to a rent increase that was out of the restaurant’s control.
In Foamo’s case, an increase in space and a more central location to downtown will add what Rhanime hopes is more foot traffic coming in and out of the cafe.
With the new location being closer to the Virginia Tech campus as well, students have better access to the cafe than before – a change that Virginia Tech student, Aditi Shukla, says is a great thing.
“The previous location was kind of far from campus. If it moved right across from the Milk Parlor, the old salsa night place, then I think it will be easier for students to access, even during school hours,” said Shukla.
Over 50% of the working population is employed by a small business according to Yahoo, highlighting the importance of businesses like Foamo and the impact it has on the community of Blacksburg.
While the location is entirely new, the menu, decor and overall feel of the cafe has remained the same during the transition from Main Street to downtown, with the addition of smoothie and toast options coming in the following weeks.
Overall Rhanime describes the transition to downtown as bittersweet, the relocation process having both its pros and cons.
“It was kind of a sudden decision, we moved literally in about a two week time span. A lot of people thought it was a situation where we just left or we just closed up shop. The hardest thing is going to be trying to get everybody back through the doors.”
Blacksburg, Va. Feb., 19 – Classroom Building: Formerly known as “New Classroom Building,” this building at Virginia Tech has been without a traditional name for almost four years. Photo: Ariadne Manikas
Almost four years have passed since “New Classroom Building” was opened for classes on Virginia Tech’s campus, but its name remains the same. Colloquially known as NCB, the sign outside now just reads “Classroom Building,” an appropriate change since the building is no longer new.
Since NCB opened its doors, Virginia Tech has opened two other nameless buildings, “New Hall West” and “New Cadet Hall.” In 2017, before the latter was due to open, several students started a petition to name the cadet residence hall after Matthew La Porte, a cadet who gave his life defending his classmates during the 2007 shooting. This petition was denied, though the university built a memorial to the cadet in a central location on campus.
How buildings on campus get their names are outlined in University Policy No. 12005: Policy on Commemorative Tributes. Angela Hayes, Virginia Tech’s Assistant Vice President for Advancement, authored the policy. She says the naming process can be lengthy because the university has to vet any donors or other contributors to Virginia Tech before they are granted the rights to name their building.
“There’s a review showing that we do our fiduciary duties and due diligence,” says Hayes, “to make sure that the space that’s being named and the individual that’s being honored reflects positively on the individual being honored as well as the university.”
She says the university wants to be sure before they name a building that the name is the right one, so they don’t have to change it.
Virginia Tech senior Rubye Egley has been attending classes in NCB for four years. She agreed saying that she thinks NCB should keep its name to avoid confusion with students.
Due to these reasons it is unclear when or if NCB and other new constructions such as New Hall West and New Cadet Hall will be properly named. Listen to the full audio report below.
Blacksburg, Va., Feb. 18 – Angela Hayes: Angela Hayes is the Assistance Vice President for Advancement at Virginia Tech. Photo: Ariadne Manikas
Blacksburg, Va., Feb. 10 – Fitspiration: There are many social media apps available for meal and workout inspiration. Photo: Sarah Carr
by Sarah Carr —
There’s no question that social media has influenced many parts of society today. From food, to travel to even fitness – there is an account for every interest. The question that then arises is, “is it a good thing?”
Kiara McGuire, a personal trainer at McComas Gym at Virginia Tech said she has seen first hand how impactful social media can be on fitness.
“I had a client that came in, and one of their goals was to lose 40 pounds in two weeks. He showed me pictures on social media of the body he wanted to look like. We had to have a long talk.” said McGuire.
It’s “the crazy waves of trying to lose weight,” and other fitness fads that trainers like McGuire said can make the seemingly harmless “fitspiration” phenomenon so dangerous.
According to a study done in INSIDER, “women who viewed a set of Instagram fitness images reported lower levels of body satisfaction than women who viewed a set of Instagram travel images.”
While social media sites such as Instagram can be a breeding ground for comparison to some, it also provides inspiration and a sense of community to others.
Camden Carpenter, an avid social media user and student at Virginia Tech said that apps like Pinterest have helped her find new workouts and recipes, tailored to her liking.
“With social media, it’s really easy to find someone that aligns with your dietary restrictions and allergies instead of having to flip through Google and use all of these search words where you still might not get a recipe,” said Carpenter.
It’s the ease and accessibility that makes social media so impactful on the fitness community. A study by Cleveland Clinic in Parade Magazine showed that 55% of Americans use social media for diet and workout advice.
It seems that there are both positive and negative effects to social media’s impact on fitness, but it ultimately comes down to the user and how they react to these accounts when scrolling through their feed every day.
Blacksburg, Va., Feb 9. – Kiara McGuire, personal trainer at Virginia Tech. Photo: Sarah Carr
Blacksburg, Va., Feb 7 – Camden Carpenter, social media user and student at Virginia Tech. Photo: Sarah Carr
Blacksburg, Va., Feb 11 – PLENTY OF KISSES: Chocolates, like these iconic Hershey’s Kisses, can be a great low-budget gift for anyone with a sweet tooth. Hershey will produce nearly a billion of these candies for the Valentine’s Day holiday alone.
by Troy Clark –-
Valentine’s Day will be here before we know it, and Blacksburg offers plenty for couples both young and old to busy themselves with on this special day. Here in town, there are options for couples looking to have an extravagant experience or a calm, reserved experience away from the crowds.
According to WalletHub.com, the average Valentine’s Day couple spent almost $400 in 2019 – that’s $196.31 each, by their math – on gifts and experiences for the big day. And with nearly a quarter of that cost going to dinner or a night out, it can be hard to choose the correct location.
“Booking typically happens fairly quickly,” remarked Shannon Faherty, bartender at 622 North. “We’re one of the hotspots for date night in Blacksburg.”
A wine bar and restaurant on North Main Street, 622 North is one of many locations in the area that provides a special, limited Valentine’s Day menu. At a fairly affordable price of $67 per couple – or $47 without alcohol – this option offers an easy, upscale dinner at one of the highest-rated locations in town. Faherty emphasized the care that their head chef and sommelier have put into the wine pairings with each dish, making this experience truly unique among similar offerings.
“They really take a lot of time and consideration while making the menu, and it really goes to show when we have all these people come in,” furthered Faherty.
Other restaurants in town, such as Ceritano’s, also on North Main Street, also offer a similar special menu option for Valentine’s Day reservations. Not every couple is looking to spend a significant amount of money or time out, however, and there are plenty of ideas in Blacksburg for this as well. Local venues are open as usual on Friday night, and the Lyric Theatre on College Avenue is no exception. The Theatre has two showings of Uncut Gems scheduled for the night, and tickets will run $7 each or $6 with a membership.
However, many Virginia Tech students are simply staying home, or letting others do the planning for them.
“I have an exam on Friday, so I’ll take that,” said Megan Reilly, a junior at Virginia Tech. “Then I have a date party. It’s more convenient to go to a Greek event than it is to make your own plans.” Reilly’s sentiment echoes that of an ever-increasing demographic, with Business Insider reporting that 51% of Americans planned to celebrate the holiday in 2019, down 4% from the previous year. Reilly also mentioned how she has been inundated with homework so far this year, which has made Valentine’s Day hard to plan around.
No matter the choice couples make this year, there is always a backup plan: McDonald’s in Blacksburg will be open until midnight on Valentine’s Day.
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