Campus Dating During COVID-19: Is it Impossible?

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a halt to a lot of people’s plans, to say the least. It’s become increasingly more difficult to meet up with friends and family in a responsible manner, and the rules and stipulations surrounding the University campus and world at large are always changing. It seems trivial at this point in time to try to take someone out on a date, but there’s more safe and responsible ideas than one may think.

Meeting someone outside is actually relatively safe, at least when you and the other person’s mask are worn correctly. Mary Anne Nagy, Vice President for Student Life and Leadership Engagement, stressed the importance of not only wearing a mask, but doing so correctly.

“At some point, students need to get to their peers and say, ‘you are ruining it for the rest of us,” Nagy said in a response to the rise of COVID-19 cases on campus. “When you wear your mask wrong, you’re hurting the campus.”

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Safe Campus Living During COVID-19

When the University announced its plan to reopen and allow for students to return to the dorms, naturally, questions arose as to the safety of doing so. Traditionally starting semesters in the fall, New Jersey has had the luxury of observing how other schools handled the global pandemic, on campus and off. The Tampa Bay Times recently reported the University of Tampa had drawn big COVID-19 numbers amongst its residential students, despite being a small private school like Monmouth University.

When a student makes the decision to return to campus living, it comes with a multitude of issues and concerns that must be addressed. For one, how at risk can you actually become? For this answer, we can turn to the Monmouth COVID-19 Dashboard. Updated daily by 4 p.m., the dashboard tracks confirmed COVID-19 cases among employees working on campus, residential students and non-residential students, as well as the amount of University-sponsored beds occupied by students currently in isolation or quarantine.

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It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's... Smoke.

Nothing beats September weather. Crisp air, lukewarm temperatures, warm breezes, the transition from summer to fall is absolutely breathtaking. But have you noticed that this past week’s forecast has been “cloudier” than usual? Contrary to popular belief, those “clouds” are actually plumes of smoke being produced from the record-breaking wildfires that have been impacting California, Washington state, and Oregon.

The west coast’s dry conditions, high temperatures, and abundance of lightning have all served as catalysts for these wildfires. According to an article written by BBC News, the fires were so extreme they destroyed thousands of homes, killed over 30 people, and overall affected 42,000 people in the area. Individuals in the area have been experiencing one of the worst air quality conditions on earth.

With the smoke stretching over 5,000 miles, scientists predict the acrid yellow-green smog may linger in those parts for weeks. The air was so thick that one airline stopped flights to Portland, OR, and Spokane, WA, earlier this week. Businesses have closed temporarily and residents were not able to go outside for walks.

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How to Stay Motivated With Online Classes

The main upside to online classes is that it gives students the ability to manage other responsibilities outside of school with ease. However with this added component, students will now need to find a balance between their lives outside of school and their online school work. Students will attain this balance from clearing their mind and understanding school comes first.

Some ways to stay on top of things include setting an early morning alarm and taking showers to wake themselves up and get online regardless of class schedule. It’s necessary to do a rundown on each class to understand what is required for each course, this is beneficial because students will be less likely to forget about an assignment and they can stay on top of all the updates the instructors may have for the course.

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Combatting Cabin Fever

Over the past few weeks, COVID-19 has completely taken over the lives of people all over the world. The coronavirus has millions stuck inside, which means working, playing, and relaxing all has to be done at home. It also means that cabin fever is most likely to start to set in.

To combat cabin fever, self-care is a great way to start to find peace during this hectic time. Self-care is essential when trying to create a balanced, healthy, and stress-free lifestyle.

When thinking of the term “self-care” one of the first ideas that may come to mind is applying a face mask. Face masks are a great way to relax not only your body, but your skin as well. There are a plethora of do-it-yourself face masks to take advantage of, using all household items.

One great recipe to leave your face soft, and moisturized is a hydrating avocado mask. This mask calls for one half of a ripe avocado, one teaspoon of plain yogurt, and one teaspoon of honey. Mix these ingredients together, apply all over your face, and let it sit for 15 minutes. This mask will leave the skin glowing and hydrated.

Lynelle Scanlon, a junior criminal justice student at Monmouth University, has her own recipe for an at home egg-white face mask that she regularly uses. For this mask Scanlon beats one egg white until it is fluffy, and mixes in one teaspoon of lemon juice, and one teaspoon of honey.

“I use egg whites as a face mask because it peels off leaving my skin feeling fresh and clean. It is so easy to make, and safe for your skin because there are no harmful chemicals in it,” said Scanlon.

Another way to relax, and feel less anxious while stuck inside is to create a mood board. A mood board is a visual tool that communicates concepts, and visual ideas. It can take the form of an arrangement of images, materials, and pieces of text that is intended to express a particular style or concept.

A mood board is a great starting point to get things done. It can help to collate and focus ideas, and define upcoming projects. To begin a mood board start collecting images that represent your personal taste in clothes, music, interior design, goals, and dreams. Next, print

these images out and paste them to a poster board or sheet of paper. These images will work together to tell a story of your life.

Another way to help ease any heightened emotions or tensions you may be feeling at this time is through essential oils. Essential oils are extracted from plants, and are oils that capture the scent or the essence of the specific plant.

William Schreiber, Ph.D., Lecturer and Chair of the Chemistry & Physics department, said, “I think essential oils are relaxing because they generally have pleasant scents, which provides the user with a relaxing aesthetic experience much as other senses can do.”

Certain scents can serve as an aid in self-care. If you find that you are up all night dealing with insomnia, lavender and cedar wood oil can relieve restlessness, and improve sleep.

If you find yourself in a bad mood sweet orange, lemon, tangerine, peppermint, and lemongrass are shown to significantly improve your mood, and lift spirits. Essential oils are simple to find, and usually come in starter packs with various scents. Amazon is a great place to order essential oil sets without having to leave your home.

One last self-care activity that you can add to your quarantine routine is at home exercising. The physical part of self-care is just as important as the mental, and emotional aspects. All you need for this self-care activity is a workout video or plan, which can be found on YouTube or Pinterest. Working out releases endorphins, which in turn helps motivate the body and spirit.

Sam Ciociola, a junior communication student at Monmouth University, has done an at home workout routine everyday of quarantine thus far. “I've been making the best out of it, and finding different workouts on YouTube that use the equipment I have access too,” said Ciociola.

In any sense, self-care is an important factor to incorporate into your daily routine, especially during the stay at home order for the coronavirus. Even though you may not be able to control how long the quarantine will last, you can control how you deal with it. By following any of the above methods of self-care, you will leave quarantine feeling like a brand new person.

Gardening to Reduce Stress

With spring weather finally approaching, gardening is a common activity or hobby that a lot of people tend to pick up. Now with the Coronavirus knocking on our doors you can enjoy outside, by gardening in the comfort of your own home.

Although a visually attractive backyard is the overall goal for many, some find gardening as a therapeutic pastime for their mind, body and soul. Those who look at it as a chore might not see gardening as a leisurely activity. However, approaching gardening with a positive attitude and an open mind will significantly reduce stress.

In a modern world where people are constantly overloaded with daily responsibilities, it is important to remember to stop and smell the roses. Gardening is a useful tool that is beneficial for people of all ages to get involved in.

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Is Mercury in Retrograde a Fallacy?

“Nothing is going right for me lately, and on top of it Mercury is in retrograde.” Odds are if you follow the practices of astrology, you have heard of the term “mercury in retrograde”.

Retrograde motion, when observed from Earth, is a planet that appears to be moving in the reverse direction, according to Time magazine.

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The Resurgence of Astrology

From a life and style magazine like Cosmopolitan, to a newspaper such as The New York Times, more often than not you will come across weekly articles about astrology and horoscopes. Horoscopes are not only a hot topic among youth, but astrological signs are becoming staples in fashion and jewelry. Popular companies like Urban Outfitters, Alex and Ani, and Nordstrom have created collections revolving around zodiac symbols.

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Ask Chloe

Ever since my friend got a boyfriend she only spends her time with him, she has become distant from our entire friend group. This is making me upset. Should I say something?

 - Anonymous

Anonymous-- I’m sure you have heard the saying, “Love is blind” before. Sometimes the relationships we are in have the power to cloud our minds and judgments. Suddenly when you are in love, you may not evaluate your own actions.

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Is Your Facial Roller a Skincare Gem?

In recent years the beauty industry has developed an obsession with skincare; from tweens to middle-aged adults, people are dying to talk about their routines.

Recently, a new trend has emerged in the skincare world: facial rollers. A facial roller is made with two stones, either jade or rose quartz, on either side of the handle that work to massage and enhance several features of the face.

According to Energy Muse, a blog focused on educating the public about crystal energy, the jade stone is the “ultimate good luck charm.” Jade works to calm and nourish the soul, as well as protect it from harm.

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