As the COVID-19 global pandemic persists, CUNY students and other students nationwide continue to grapple with prevailing uncertainty, fear, anxiety and depression. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines mental health as our emotional, social and psychological well-being. Mental health has experienced a sharp overall decline as a result of the widespread effects of coronavirus. For students, as they continue to attend classes physically or via online platforms, the pandemic continues to affect mental health. The City University of New York is a network of vast and expansive urban public universities; according to the CUNY website, the university system accounts for the largest such network in the country. CUNY…
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OP-ED: Majors that are producing the smallest number of graduates and why
As an undergrad, you will inevitably hear some STEM majors drone on about how difficult their major is. So, it begs the question, what makes their major so hard? And what is STEM? STEM majors encompass science, technology, and mathematics. More specifically, this umbrella term is inclusive of natural (biology, chemistry, physics), behavioral (neuroscience, psychology) ,and computer and information sciences. Some of the crucial benefits of majoring in chemistry or physics include training in critical thinking, learning, and analysis. There are a variety of possibilities for students with STEM degrees. Here at Queens College, The Knight News caught up with Dr. Cherice Evans, an associate professor of chemistry, to enlighten…
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The road to recovery: How NYC restaurants are facing the COVID-19 crisis
The remnants of the global pandemic have severely affected the restaurant industry in New York City, leading to a new protective measure that allows restaurants to gradually recuperate by adding a surcharge after an unprecedented statewide shutdown of non-essential businesses. The New York State Restaurant Association’s (NYSRA) reports revealed that as of April 16, 527,000 restaurant industry workers were dismissed without pay and furloughed as a result of Covid-19. With almost a million workers out of jobs, restaurant sales plummeted dramatically. According to CNN Travel, a surcharge has been on the table since April 2018. The frontrunner of the 2018 surcharge initiative in New York City was Republican Councilman Joseph…
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How Can We Do Better? Creating a More Just and Inclusive Future
The Queens Memory project team recently launched a three-part panel series titled, “How Can We Do Better? Creating a More Just and Inclusive Future.” This series was meant to give the Queens College (QC) community a virtual platform to meaningfully discuss and raise awareness about issues regarding race, identity, civic participation, and student leadership which hopes to instill positive social reform. The panel was part of a national dialogue that was prompted by the death of George Floyd, a black man who was victim of police brutality and passed away earlier this year in May. With a recent surge in racial animosity across our nation, protests against the deaths…
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The West Coast Go Up in Flames
In August 2020, the West Coast of the United States erupted into flames, sending distress signals all throughout the country. The New York Times reported that the fires were originally started by lightning strikes; the largest strike earned the name ‘August Complex’. As of Sept. 13, 2020, more than 30 people have been confirmed dead due to the wildfires, with thousands of people being forced to evacuate their homes. Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden warned on Saturday that “climate change poses an imminent, existential threat to our way of life” and accused President Donald Trump, a climate sceptic, of denying “that reality”. According to The New York Times, “over five…
