Following New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s mid-semester decision to indefinitely discontinue in-person CUNY and SUNY school classes, many questions have been raised regarding how – if at all – schools ought to go about reopening in the Fall. To address these questions, Queens College organized and convened a planning committee consisting of faculty members considered especially well-equipped to chart the course of the school in the coming months. The Queens College Ad Hoc Working Group on Reopening, as it is called, was formed with the purpose of “planning for reopening physical use of campus space for academic instruction and other in-person activities with an emphasis on the Fall 2020 semester,”…
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CUNY budget to be slashed at the expense of incoming freshmen
Dear Editors, We’re writing as the Directors of First Year Writing and the First Year Experience with support from the Chair of the English Department, because we see plans evolving for the fall that trouble us greatly. We think our students will be troubled, too, when these plans become public, so we want to tell you about them now, while we still have time to change them. As the college considers how to cut its budget for the fall, it’s weighing a proposal to raise the class size in English 110 from twenty students to twenty-five. That increase may not sound significant—we’re talking about five students, or an increase of…
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Are CUNY Students Going to See the Effects of the Health and Wellness Fee?
The CUNY Board of Trustees has voted to increase the tuition once again, this time by $120, putting the extra money towards health and wellness resources. The resources will be put towards facilities such as mental health counseling, women’s healthcare products, and more. Having more resources on campus, a place that’s supposed to be a “home away from home” is going to be a big improvement, but students are demanding to see the changes. “Right now we have STD testing, flu shots, and other routine vaccinations, pain relievers. We’re able to check blood pressure, temperature, and do pregnancy tests,” said Kalua, the Queens College mental health center’s office assistant. “We’re…
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CUNY Service Corps: Helping students grow through paid internships
Figuring out what one wants to pursue career-wise is a difficult decision. The CUNY Service Corps is the perfect opportunity for students to get an idea of their futures. CUNY Service Corps is a two-semester internship and pre-development program that includes working 10-12 hours a week at $15 per hour for a total of 24 weeks (Fall 2020 and Spring 2021). CUNY Service Corps focuses on four categories in terms of how they place students within various organizations and agencies within New York City. Those include organizations that focus on educational empowerment, economic empowerment, organizations that address health issues and disparities of New Yorkers, as well as supporting the environment…
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Macbeth Meets McDonald’s in New Musical
Ever wondered what Shakespeare’s Macbeth (AKA “The Scottish Play”) would look like if it took place in the 1970s instead of the 11th century? Well, imagine no more, for there’s a new musical that’s playing off-Broadway that updates one of the Bard’s legendary plays in a tale that contains stoners, deer hunting and French fries. Based on the 2001 independent film, Scotland, PA (currently playing at the Laura Pels Theatre for a limited run until December 8th) is a weird, wild and engaging black musical comedy and a worthy cousin to two similar shows, Little Shop of Horrors and Bat Boy: The Musical. Taking place in 1975 in the title…
