SWC’s Fast Five

If you aren’t great at staying up to date with the news, you might have missed some important updates this week, including changes to the 2020 election and university closure announcements. Not to worry! We gathered the news you need to know from this week (and threw in a few fun articles) to keep you up-to-date and entertained. 

So, here’s this week’s Fast Five:

1 First large university to cancel in-person fall classes

This week, California State University, the nation’s largest four-year public university system, became the first large university in the country to cancel in-person classes for the fall semester. Despite the news that all 23 of its campuses will remain closed, the University will continue educational instruction in an online format. For more details on this announcement and similar decisions from foreign universities, check out this article.

2 Nacho Average Showdown

Tune in to Food Network’s Facebook page tonight at 5 p.m. EST to watch restauranter Guy Fieri take on actor Bill Murray to determine who can make the best nachos. The “Nacho Average Showdown” competition will raise money for Fieri’s Restaurant Employee Relief Fund (RERF), which provides financial assistance to restaurant employees whose jobs have been impacted by COVID-19.

3 Virtual voting?

The Democratic National Committee recently adopted a resolution to give the team overseeing the 2020 Democratic National Convention the authority to change the format, size and dates of the event. This move will allow delegates “to participate in the convention in person or by means that allow for appropriate social distancing,” which may mean that a plan to facilitate a completely virtual convention is in the works. For more on what the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention will look like in the era of COVID-19, check out this article.

4 See Spot social distance

Last week, Singapore officials introduced Spot, a robot dog that will be utilized to enforce social distancing measures. Spot is set to patrol public areas, gathering video footage to help the government estimate the number of people gathering in public and broadcasting a pre-recorded message reminding residents to practice social distancing.

5 An interesting take on masks

As stay-at-home orders lift and more people are out and about wearing masks, some are using this piece of personal protective equipment as a fashion or political statement. Here’s an interesting read on what the face mask means in 2020.