The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 25

March 9, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 5 Features “Let’s take a look at the bigger picture” - One student’s experience with COVID-19 By: Madelyn Rinka Co-Editor-in-Chief Ryan Rivera, a freshman public health major at NSU, was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the end of January. In a Q&A with The Current, Rivera shared his story and advice regarding his experience. How did you get diagnosed with COVID-19? “A couple of my friends had been out together, and pretty much the next day I started feeling sick. I’m not the type of person that just gets sick out of nowhere, so immediately my first reaction was ‘I probably got [COVID-19].’ That day, the first day I got back to my dorm, I went out, got tested and I had to wait five days for my results. Eventually, I got my results and it was positive.” Can you share what it was like to have COVID-19? “The first day, it was kind of just a little bit of a cough and a runny nose. So, I was like ‘oh, it might be allergies’ —but better to be safe than sorry. Once I reached out to my friends, everybody was kind of feeling the same thing…The first three days after I got tested were the worst. It was like every time I went to breathe, it was like my throat was on fire. If I wanted to take a sip of water, it hurt just to swallow water.” Rivera stated he also had a headache and a runny nose, but those symptoms subsided after a short period of time. Additionally, Rivera explained that he is considered high risk due to a previous asthma diagnosis. “I can definitely confirm that, at least with me, as someone who’s high risk, I was 100% feeling [COVID-19] and there were some people who were feeling it even more than me,” Rivera added, speaking of a friend who ended up in the hospital due to their symptoms. What was it like being a college student while having COVID-19? “It was really comforting knowing that there was [a COVID-19 case manager] checking in on me, wanting to see how my symptoms were [and] just seeing how I was feeling. I’m from New York, so my family is 1,300 miles away and they were really concerned the whole time… Once I told them that I had a COVID-19 case manager here at NSU, they even felt at ease.” Rivera alsomentioned that his professors were understanding of his condition, as he had been occasionally too exhausted to get out of bed. “There’s a really well-established support system. Everybody thinks the absolute worst with COVID-19 and having to balance different things. Genuinely, NSU made it so much easier to get through all that.” Now that you’ve had COVID-19, do you think about the situation differently? Speaking about restrictions that were implemented because of the pandemic (or lack thereof), Rivera said, “It made me realize that certain things I was really excited to do down here, like going to amusement parks and things like that, maybe aren’t the best idea considering I’ve already seen what can happen... Just reevaluating, let’s take a look at the bigger picture, let’s see what’s going on and reevaluate those decisions that we’re making.” Some college students specifically might be feeling sick of the pandemic or are potentially lightening up on personal restrictions they’ve placed on themselves. What do you want other college students to know, as someone who has had COVID-19? “I lightened up my restrictions, and I ended up catching COVID-19. You may not think it’s going to affect you, but it definitely will. I know we’re all tired of it — in the next few weeks, it’s going to be a year that we’ve really been dealing with this in the [U.S] where it’s had a nationwide impact. Just be smart and realize that, while it may suck feeling like you’re restricted and that you have to wear a mask everywhere... it works.” Emphasizing the importance of cooperation during these times, Rivera urged students to consider the reason we have restrictions and what could happen if they’re not followed. “If we all cooperate [and] put in our fair share of work, we can go back to normal. If we’re not doing that, there’s going to be pro-longed restrictions and limitations as to what we can do versus dealing with the restrictions now. Following different guidelines that are given, we can go back to normal sooner.” If a student is having any symptoms, they are advised to reach out toNSU’s Telehealth line at (954) 262-4100, where they will be connected to a physician who will review their symptoms and, if needed, schedule a COVID-19 test on campus. Additionally, students can email COVIDcase@nova. edu to provide updates on their symptoms and test results, even if the results are still pending, and to get assigned a COVID-19 case manager to oversee the situation and offer assistance, if necessary. Emailing COVIDcase will also immediately provide students with the Telehealth number, as well as links to employee and graduate/ professional student report forms, the undergraduate student form and the form to report exposures. Students, staff and faculty can visit NSU’s dedicated website, www.nova.edu/coronavirus, for up to date information regarding COVID-19 at the university. Club Spotlight: FEMPIRE The club FEMPIRE was started at the beginning of 2020 by Valeria Ravachi and Camilla Mendez. FEMPIRE is all about empowering and supporting women by coming together by educating others on the issues women deal with daily. Not only do they teach women’s issues, but they also talk about women’s history and feminism. FEMPIRE educates using power points, seminars and videos. Sometimes, they educate by letting others talk and letting others speak about their experiences. “We want to get people to talk, so that is the main thing,” said Ravachi. At their last meeting, FEMPIRE talked about the different kinds of feminism there are -- cultural, liberal, radical and many more types of feminism. However, FEMPIRE doesn’t just discuss feminism. According to Ravachi, they discuss current events that involve women because discussing the events happening in the world is just as important as discussing feminism. “Our slogan is to empower, educate and advocate,” said Ravachi. According to Ravachi, anyone can join, no matter their gender or sexuality. FEMPIRE is a safe place for people to speak their truths. Currently, FEMPIRE has 73 members and always welcomes others with open arms. Given March is Women’s History Month, FEMPIRE is hosting an event that will last all month long called FEMPIRE Month. Every week, there will be a different activity. For By: Ashley Diaz Contributing Writer PHOTO COURTESY OF VALERIA RAVACHI instance, the first week will be a panel where people will be talking about women’s history, women’s issues and more. The second week is going to be about learning self-defense. If you don’t want to miss out, follow FEMPIRE on their Instagram, @fempirensu, and GroupMe where they post all of their information. On their Instagram, they post motivational quotes, meeting days, events, self-care tips and more. FEMPIRE has a membership fee of $5 to join. The organization is creating a community that is accepting, trusting and non-judgemental. If you are looking to join an organization that embodies those qualities or if you want to educate yourselves about women’s issues, then think about joining FEMPIRE by visiting their SharkHub page or Instagram.