Editorial: Welcome Back! (Kind Of)

This is my first semester serving as editor-in-chief of The Insider, and I’m so proud to bring to you all our first issue of the academic year. We hope to offer you some clarity in these uncertain times.

In this issue, we broke down some of the ways Pitt-Greensburg’s trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while keeping campus open this semester, like new building tech and dining hall procedures.

We have a firsthand account of what COVID-19 surveillance testing is like, just in time for the second round of tests on campus.

We also spoke to students and professors to see how they’re adjusting to Flex@Pitt this semester, both in and out of the classroom.

The Insider is also accepting written submissions from students about their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue, Samantha Lemley shared her story with us, and I encourage you to read it.

We would love to hear your story, too. You can send submissions via this form, or you can email them to UPGInsider@outlook.com.

I am moved by our community’s commitment to keeping each other safe and healthy so far. We have to stay the course and continue following public health guidelines, both for ourselves and others.

Please, no matter whether you’re inside or out, wear a mask on campus. Wear a mask to the store, the gym, work, and when you’re around anyone who doesn’t live with you. Keep at least six feet of distance between yourself and others any time you’re out of your dorm or home; if you can, stay even farther away.

If at all possible, stay home.

I know you’ve heard it a million times, but it’s important enough to say it a million and one times.

Remember that July study by the Bruno Kessler Foundation that found that approximately 80 percent of young people who’re infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic? Please think about that the next time you’re out.

Do you need to go to that birthday party? Or to that clothing store? Or on vacation? Is it worth risking your life? Is it worth risking others’ lives?

If you could save even one person, would it be worth it to you to stay home? I hope so.

Besides taking care of others, remember to take care of yourself. If you need support, I encourage you to use the resources at the Counseling Center.

Despite all of the chaos 2020 has brought us, The Insider is still here for you. We promise to always be a reliable, consistent source for all of your news needs, whether we’re online or in Village Hall.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Twitter to get notified when we publish new stories.

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Other stories from vol. 13, issue 1:
Campus-Close Up
Bobcats Adjust to the New Normal
Time to Turn the Page: Campus Bookstore Under New Ownership
How to Vote This November
Protester Arrested by Plainclothes Officers in Unmarked Vehicle on Oakland Campus
A Senior Perspective on a Global Pandemic
Fall Sports Teams Prepare for a Tough Spring
The Life and Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
Stream Your Heart Out: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War”
Listen Your Heart Out: BTS’s “Dynamite”