By Mayibel Ruiz California's air quality is ranked the lowest in the country because of the lack of policies protecting its residents from air pollutants, exposing residents to detrimental health risks. The air pollution in cities such as Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino is consistently ranked the lowest in the country because of warehouses and frequent trucking traffic. A reason air pollution is a problem in these cities is the lack of local government support for these cities' residents. The city's local government officials do not take sufficient action to create restrictions on warehouses in the area that can improve air quality over time. When comparing states, … [Read more...] about Looking at California’s low air quality from a health and advocacy perspective
health
Food insecurity affects those closer to home than you think
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the effects of food insecurity in America, demonstrating that when resources are shut down in an emergency, people will struggle in many ways. With no access to groceries stores and restaurants and convenience stores minimizing hours, food insecurity becomes more prevalent. Although this issue of food insecurity is not new, it is a social injustice that a large amount of the population is struggling for enough food to provide a healthy lifestyle, while the other half has the privilege to pick and choose their diets based on how they are feeling at a certain point. Food insecurity is an international, national, and local problem that affects 9% … [Read more...] about Food insecurity affects those closer to home than you think
Nature posts don’t spread awareness on environmentalism
Every year on April 22, our nation celebrates Earth Day in hopes to raise awareness of preserving and conserving our planet. However, in this day and age, Earth Day has become the excuse for people to jump on social media platforms and post aesthetically pleasing nature pictures in hopes of likes or follows rather than supporting environmental protection. Former U.S. Democratic senator and governor of Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson became concerned about the deteriorating environment in our nation. During the 1960’s Nelson was witnessing many environmental crises take place and inspiration from the youth's Vietnam anti-war movements sparked the idea of environmental consciousnesses. Nelson … [Read more...] about Nature posts don’t spread awareness on environmentalism
The importance of physical activity for self care
By Sally Lloyd When people think of self-care, they think of relaxing, sleeping, maybe applying a face mask, and de-stressing. One thing to consider is shaping your self-care routine to include physical activity. All around, physical activity proves to be beneficial to our health and well-being; there are obvious benefits such as weight loss, combating diseases, and improved body image but it can actually help you relax. Physical activity, such as walking or going to the gym, can improve your mood, which in turn helps alleviate feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which are prevalent in college students. The prioritization of physical activity is important and not all … [Read more...] about The importance of physical activity for self care
Student evicted from home after testing positive for COVID-19
By Anthony Teig, Ezra Yirgu, and Chris West Zachary Camarena, a 24 year old attending CSUSB, contracted the coronavirus in late February. After discovering that their son tested positive for the virus, Camarena's parents did not allow him to return home, forcing Camarena to ask a friend for help. “The most difficult part of it all, is the worry of the health and safety of my parents” says Camarena, who’s biggest concern was his family’s well-being. For him, it was the only way to protect his family with underlying conditions. “Both of my sisters, their husbands, as well as my nieces and nephews got the virus as well,” Camarena said. This conflict of exposure to family … [Read more...] about Student evicted from home after testing positive for COVID-19
Just the tips: Protect your health (and have fun) by using condoms correctly
By Amy Streavel, M.P.H., MCHES, Senior Director of Education ProgramsPlanned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties Everyone deserves a healthy, safe, and fun sex life with consenting partners. Using condoms is a good way to lower stress around sex, increase pleasure, and show your partner that you care about your health and theirs. Condoms and other barrier methods are an effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. But many people are still confused about condoms and how they work. Because February is National Condom Awareness Month, we at Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties are here to clear … [Read more...] about Just the tips: Protect your health (and have fun) by using condoms correctly
Advice: How to combat virtual spring semester
Some students at CSUSB are new to online schooling and therefore still adapting to this difficult transition. How can we make the most of it, you may ask? Think about it this way: if you have made it this far in online schooling, you will get through it next semester, too. 2020 has been a very weird year. I confess I did not expect it to be as bad and strange as it currently is. It is difficult to stay attentive in a virtual school, especially with all of the available and easily-accessible distractions in a house. Some of the best pieces of advice I can give is to stay disciplined and motivated. One way to do this is to take about four or five hours a day and dedicate it … [Read more...] about Advice: How to combat virtual spring semester
Opinion: Benefits to wearing masks
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the United States, we are continuing to adapt to our new normal to further slow the spread of the virus. California Governor Gavin Newsom re-initiated curfew hours for many counties that forbids get-togethers from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. Continuing to stay 6-feet apart, avoid large gatherings, sanitize all our surroundings, and wear face masks are still highly encouraged to practice. However, many Americans are becoming selfish and refusing to wear face masks because they do not believe they are beneficial. Wearing a face mask or any sort of cloth covering the nose and mouth is proven to prevent those who are infected with the virus and reduce the spread … [Read more...] about Opinion: Benefits to wearing masks
Essential workers discuss the dangers and fears of everyday life
Workers worry about the lack of insurance and insufficient safety practices as they continue to work, fearing they may catch COVID-19. Kalee Atkins, an employee for Marshall's, expresses her concerns about customers not following safety guidelines. “There are people who do not want to follow the rules because there aren’t laws that require them to do so, but I explain to them that these rules are necessary for us to stay open,” said Atkins. Jocelyn Villalobos is a 27-year-old Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) at St. Bernadine’s Medical Center, she had this to say about healthcare, “My parents pay for and afford the healthcare I need. There are a lot of components to why many people … [Read more...] about Essential workers discuss the dangers and fears of everyday life
Opinion: Positive vaccine updates don’t mean we are out of the woods yet
While Pfizer Inc. states the COVID-19 vaccine is said to be 90% effective, pharmaceutical company Moderna also published preliminary results claiming 94.5% efficacy of their vaccine against COVID-19. Moderna's vaccine does not require minus 70-degree Celsius for storage, thus, it can be stored and moved in a more affordable way. With this news definitely being worth celebrating, it is not the time to take COVID lightly, but time to buckle down and wait for the vaccine. The virus has already killed over 1.3 million people globally, and cases are still continuing to rise. While the feeling of living alongside COVID is still there, we must also get through flu season and winter without … [Read more...] about Opinion: Positive vaccine updates don’t mean we are out of the woods yet