Best scandal: swine flu

Cameras flooded the university campus when the scandalous swine flu hit Delaware last month. According to a May 8 count, 44 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the state of Delaware, while only 24 of them were university students.

All students and faculty members received e-mails and phone calls from the university letting them know what was going on. The Center for Disease Control also made information available so students would know how to better protect themselves from getting sick. Tips included washing hands, avoiding contact with sick individuals and seeking medical attention, if necessary.

"People definitely needed the emails that were sent from President Harker and Student Health," says freshman Devon Megginson. "It was an easy way to show that the university was keeping control of things."

The Carpenter Sports Building was opened as a temporary clinic staffed by individuals from the Delaware Division of Public Health for students who may have potentially caught the swine flu.

Students had a slightly different feelings about swine flu. Some took it in stride - they continue to attend classes, go to the gym and visit their friends. Others skipped classes and chose to remain in their residence halls to avoid catching the disease.

"I didn't take it too seriously," Megginson says, "even though some people definitely overreacted. It's just like the regular flu."

New swine flu T-shirts have also become a popular trend on campus. Junior Marc Paulo Guzman and freshman Dan Schroeder sold T-shirts through a Facebook page and are donating the proceeds to the Boys & Girls Club of Newark. The shirts feature a pig on the front and read "Delaware Swine '09." The back says "I'm Feelin' Swine."

In the end, less than 25 of the 16,000 students who attend the university were affected by the swine flu. Yet events were canceled, phone calls were made and e-mails were sent to students, faculty and parents, and the university was featured on the news.

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