The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 10

October 13, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 3 News News Briefs Get the scoop on events happening on campus and around campus Pita and Parsha On Oct. 14, from 11:45 a.m.to1p.m.,Chabad,aJewish organization on campus, will host the get-together Pita and Parsha, where students can gather and discuss spiritual questions with the NSU rabbi and rebbetzin. Free kosher food, including pita, falafel, salads and a surprise treat, will be provided. It will take place on the Library Quad by the cabanas. Feeding South Florida On Oct. 15, from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. at Mills Pond Park, there will be a drive-through food distribution. The free event is intended to provide healthy and nutritious food to those who have experienced job loss, income loss or financial incapacitation with the onset of COVID-19. Food will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to the first 1,000 vehicles with a limit of one box of food per vehicle. It will be located at 2201 NW 9 Avenue. Visit https:// feedingsouthflorida.org/covid19/ for more information and to register to become a volunteer. Little Free Library restocking On Oct. 17 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., you can join the Action For Literacy team leaders as they restock five to 10 of Fort Lauderdale’s 94 Little Free Libraries. Each year, volunteers collect and distribute over 100,000 children’s books to help ensure that every child learns to read at the end of third grade. The team will meet at the city hall parking garage, 100 N. Andrews Ave, and volunteers are asked to use their personal vehicles to refill five to 10 libraries along a predetermined route. There will be no personal contact to ensure social distancing will be maintained. All volunteers are asked to bring their own masks. For more information about becoming a volunteer, contact Judith Sexton at jasexton@bellsouth.net or Ray Dettmann at brighterhorizon2000@yahoo. com. Mark your calendars — Important dates for the 2020-2021 academic year In two emails sent to NSU students on Sept. 16 and Oct. 9, the Office of the President detailed updates and reminders pertaining to the university’s 2020-2021 academic year schedule. As listed below, here are important dates to save for the fall and winter semesters. Registration for Winter 2021 semester courses: Monday, Oct. 26; Monday, Nov. 2, 2020 Registration for honors, online students, veterans, active duty military, marine biology and student athletes opens on Monday, Oct. 26; registration for continuing and new students opens on Monday, Nov. 2. Classes transition to remote learning after: Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 Most classes will be conducted remotely after this date for the rest of the semester. Students may consult with an adviser or dean’s office if they have questions regarding courses. Thanksgiving break: Thursday, Nov. 26 - Friday, Nov. 27, 2020 Fall 2020 final exams: Monday, Nov. 30 - Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 Confirm with professors and course syllabi as to the exact dates of individual exams as they may differ by class, department or college. Last day of the Fall 2020 semester: Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 Winter break: Monday, Dec. 7, 2020 - Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021 Painting for Hope On Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Locks for Cause will host a painting event in the Don Taft University Center. All the paintings madewill bedonated to JoeDiMaggio’s Children’s hospital. Stay woke On Oct. 21 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., the Oh So Sassy and SophistAKAted Sigma Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will host an open forum on Zoom in the wake of 2020’s many traumatic racial events. Many people have expressed their thoughts and feelings regarding the racial injustice through peaceful protests and more, but for those who feel like they have not properly voiced their thoughts, this openZoomcall is for you. It’s a safe space welcome to all NSU students, faculty and staff. Those interested can RSVP through Sharkhub. Winter closure: 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, 2020 - Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021 The university will have limited operations during this time. Beginning of the Winter 2021 semester: Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 Upon returning to campus, students who are able to participate in their classes online for 14 days are encouraged to do so in order to help reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. Winter 2021 spring break: Suspended As per the Office of the President’s email sent on Sept. 16, the university has decided to suspend spring break for the Winter 2021 semester. In lieu of a full spring break, there will be no classes on: Friday, March 5, 2021 Given the suspension of spring break, the Winter 2021 semester will end one week early. End of the Winter 2021 semester: Sunday, April 25, 2021 As noted on the university’s undergraduate academic calendar website, the schedule is subject to change. Students can find dates listed online and in the previous emails from the Office of the President. Confirm with professors and course syllabi as to the exact dates of individual exams as they may differ by class, department or college. By: Madelyn Rinka Co-Editor-in-Chief Housing contracts open and self-selection starts Housing contracts have been released and self-selection for rooms and roommate assignments begins this month. For students lookingtobeincludedintheself-selectionprocess, housing contracts are due by Oct. 22 for early access to room selection. Students that have lived on campus for more than six terms will get first access to rooms and roommate selection on Oct. 26. Self-selection will continue until Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. This is also the last day for late submissions of housing contracts for self-selection. Students who submit their housing contract after Oct. 22, but before Oct. 28, will be allowed to select fromwhat is left over after the initial self- selection process. Any submissions after this date will be assigned to rooms and roommates from the remaining rooms prior to room assignment by the Office of Residential Life and Housing. Any contracts submitted afterwards will result in manual assignments done by Housing. While there is no official deadline for submitting contracts for students applying for self-selection, students should submit their contracts as soon as possible. According to Diones Adorno, assistant director of housing assignments at the Office of Residential Life and Housing, “All our selection processes start with our contract. So, the housing contracts have to come out and that’s when students have the opportunity to submit a housing contract and that’s the way we know that they want housing for a particular year or semester. Our winter 2021 specific housing contract went live on our website at 9 a.m. [onOct. 1].” The housing contracts, which include clauses oncancellations,penaltiesandotherrelatedclauses,is a standard leasing agreement that students wanting to live on campus must complete every semester. This academic year’s contract also includes an addendum regarding COVID-19 precautions and procedures. With the current safety precautions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, on-campus housing has made alterations to the process of room selection and assignments. According to Adorno, the university will “Continue single occupancy across campus. Some of our rooms are configured to be doubles or triples, but—this semester—because of the pandemic [all rooms] are singles. [Originally this was] for this semester only, but the universityhas decided to renew this for winter as well.” Students on campus can stop by the Office of Residential Life and Housing in The Commons or speak to their resident assistants or housing front desk staffandareacoordinatorforanyquestionstheyhave. “We are very student centered and we always work with the students and their families if they are unhappy with the space or if they want to move somewhere else. We always have different processes to try our best tomake themhappy,”Adorno said. Adorno suggests that students go over the contract in full with their legal guardian, and if they have any questions or concerns, the Office of Residential Life and Housing can be reached by phone at 954-262-7052 or by email at housing@ nova.edu. To get a housing contract, students can go to www.nova.edu/housing. PRINTED WITH PERMISSION BY R. LARSON Mako Hall By: Alexander Martinie Opinions Editor