Didn’t even buy a meal plan

There’s been a lot of information about the Georgetown norovirus outbreak on Vox Populi and elsewhere, including the Hoya and Todd Olson’s Xanga. It’s all become a blizzard of words, though, and that’s no good when you just want to stay healthy. So here, all in one place and in a convenient question-answer format, The Georgetown Norovirus FAQ:

Q: Is it safe to eat in Leo’s?

A: The administration must think so or they wouldn’t have opened it tonight. That doesn’t mean much, but consider this: after the Department of Health and Aramark scoured the place, it’s probably cleaner now than it ever will be.

Q: I threw up all over my room. Now my roommate is mad and is sleeping in the common room because of the smell. Also, I missed a test. 

(more…)

Over the summer, Congress passed the 900-page Higher Education Act. A bill that huge and with such a vague name has to have an impact on the lives of Georgetown students, and indeed it does. While specific regulations are waiting to be decided by the next presidential administration, Georgetown’s federal liaison Scott Fleming said several parts of the bill will affect Georgetown students.

Course registration

The bill requires professors to announce the books required for their classes before the semester starts. This probably will mean syllabi will be published earlier, perhaps even in time for course registration. You win because you can know better whether a class is what you want, and you have more time to find the best deals on textbooks.

Illegal downloading

Copyright owners like the RIAA and the MPAA have strong lobbies in Congress, so it’s only natural that they could slip some provisions into the bill. Universities are going to be pressured to monitor and report filesharing traffic (although not necessarily names of downloaders).

(more…)

Editor’s note: Before the Georgetown norovirus info session, the University held a press conference about the norovirus. Molly’s explanation is a lot more coherent than what I did at the info session and has some new information. Still, we’ll summarize all the important stuff later in the evening.

At a press conference in Riggs library, University President John DeGioia announced that the University would immediately be cleaning dormitories, the Leavey Center, McDonough, and Yates, with special attention to high-contact surfaces, since norovirus spreads very easily from person to person and on surfaces. Handwashing, he said, was going to be key in preventing the spread of the virus over the next few days.

The University has also established a telephone hotline for concerned parents.

(more…)

Taylor Burkholder (MSB `09), the Public Relations Director at Georgetown’s EMS service GERMS, said GERMS seems to be seeing fewer new cases of Georgetown norovirus.

“From what I can tell, it’s slowing down,” he said.
Burkholder said that their call volume may go back up this evening when the Student Health Center close. GERMS is still running two full crews per hour (ten people as opposed to the usual four), and that they are still responding to more calls than they normally would during a regular day.

In case you don’t have enough evidence of Georgetown’s health-related failings, Trojan Condoms just released their 2009 Sexual Health Report Card and Georgetown came in a mortifying 124 out of 139. The rankings are based on the accessibility of the health center and the availability of contraceptives, STD testing, and outreach programs.

Last year we were 115 - keep it up and at this rate we could end up on the bottom ten list by next year!

Flickr photo from user Kaptain Kobold used under a Creative Commons license

From the Norovirus Wikipedia article:

In October 2008, 165 students at Georgetown University contracted the virus.[25] Several students refused IVs, asking instead for a Busch Light drip while in the emergency room.[citation needed]

From Voice writer in exile Jeff Reger

We’re getting Powerade! Information session liveblog after jump

Georgetown just sent out a message saying that the food poisoning is caused by the Norovirus, a contagious virus spread through oral and fecal contact.Georgetown is going to start a big cleaning regimen:

Immediately, student residence halls are being cleaned with a specific focus on common areas and high contact surfaces such as bathrooms, doorknobs, and handrails. Common gathering areas including Yates Field House, McDonough Arena, the Leavey Center will also be cleaned, as well as bathrooms and high contact surfaces in academic and administrative buildings.

It’s also spread by hand-to-hand contact. In June, a health inspection found that Leo’s had inadequate handwashing facilities for employees. According to the report, that problem was resolved. Georgetown says it’s going to continue normal operation, with a focus on cleaning. The message also encourages everyone to frequently wash their hands.

Norovirus apparently hits cruise ships a lot, according to Professor Joseph Timpone, a professor of Infectious Diseases at the Medical Center. I’m at the information session, so I’ll post updates as they occur.

(more…)

The Department of Public Safety published the annual Crime Awareness Report (PDF) Tuesday, but all the good stuff turned out to be clerical errors. All the good stuff, that is, except for this front page picture of Jeff Van Slyke, Director of Public Safety, and Jack the Bulldog.

There’s a reason why Jeff and Jack are getting acquainted. Yesterday, Van Slyke told me that Jack is getting deputized into DPS–seriously. He said there’s going to be a photo-op with DPS officers in the Adopt-a-Cop program, and Jack is going to come along to be sworn into the canine unit. He speculated about the possibility of using fishing line to raise Jack’s right paw for a swearing-in.

It’s weird, but it’s not student informants weird, and that’s something to be grateful for.

It was a big week for the Voice, especially in news. Dive in:

• In this week’s cover story, John Lawless explores what happens to students after the market crash.
• All those people giddy about gay marriage in the District should think twice, according to Ed Board. I’m looking at you, Jim Graham!
• Georgetown’s having its worst week ever, and News has covers it all: food poisoning, GUTS bus collision with a Pakistani diplomat’s car (!), and more crime. At least the bull came back home.
• In Sports, the mens’ soccer team faces their greatest challenge: Notre Dame.
• Giant ocean monsters have taken over the Natural History Museum. Sara Carothers likes what they did with the place.
• Finally, television isn’t so much boob tube as it is high art in the Voices section.
• Also in Leisure, TI packs some infectious beats and Justin Scott doesn’t mind.

ATL!

Update: Housing changed its mind. Scroll down on this post for the information you need for cleaning.

There are now 146 food-poisoned students who went to Georgetown Hospital, according to today’s email from Todd Olson. Despite this high number, the University has apparently instituted a you-puke-it, you-clean-it policy for affected students.

Kathrin Verestoun’s roommate vomited on their carpet after eating at Leo’s, and Verestoun sent a request to Facilities asking them to clean the vomit under her roommate’s bed. She got this email back from Facilities (caps lock theirs):

We have assigned work ticket number SEE NOTES
to the following request:
Comment: YOU ARE RESPONSILBLE FOR ANY CLEANUP INSIDE OF YOUR APT.

It’s outrageous enough that the University is deducting from your meal plan for the privilege of dining in their laughable Leo’s replacement, Leavey’s Center Grill, which offers a only smattering of fried goodies and a dismal, withered salad bar. But making students cleanup the University’s mess, too? That ain’t right.