A Small Insight into Vaccine Politics

 If there were to be a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine proves to be vastly superior to any other in the world. tensions among all countries that didn't get a vaccine out first will rise. America and China are already at odds; Americans already have an unfavorable view of the Chinese in repose to the emergence of the virus. The most basic component of being the first country to get a vaccine out first is that that country will hold all of the power. In an article posted by Business Insider, found here, it states "Another official said China knows 'whoever finds a workable vaccine right now basically rules the world.'" Whatever country is the first to get the vaccine developed and produced will be the country that restores its economy and global influence. Stating that, its important for the leading countries right now to be the country that finishes first. The already tense relationship between China and the US will become worse if one of them were to be the first country to finish first. In the aforementioned article, its also stated how it is a bad idea for the US to stop all trade with China now, considering China is the biggest supplier of medical supplies for the US. Basically, if one superpower were to get the vaccine before another does, it looks as if no matter what, hell would break loose to some extent.

COVID Vaccines and Global Cooperation

 Producing and developing COVID vaccines is a global endeavor because the vaccine not only needs to be mass-produced, but there also needs to be a widespread distribution of the vaccines. This can be difficult to some extent because the vaccines need to be kept at a specific temperature while they're being transported, so there also need to be a large supply of dry ice available at factories and shipping locations that will allow the vaccines to be kept at their specific temperature while they're being distributed across the globe. Other people and places are involved in production and distribution because the vaccine can't just be manufactured in one place. Once one place knows how to make the vaccine, they can relay that information to other pharmaceutical companies that can manufacture it around the globe. From there, it can be transported to other places, which is essential because it takes the help of delivery people, people in air/sea travel, and people in healthcare settings to distribute the vaccine.

Timing is also an important aspect of the production and development of the vaccine because all of the countries need to work together; syringes and vials may be produced by one country, and the vaccine may be produced in another, so communication and cooperation are needed among the globe to determine when there will be a mass supply of vials and syringes so that the vaccine can start being produced and put into said vials and syringes for distribution.

Elevator Encounter

 Earlier today, I had to make a trip to the pharmacy, and one of my roommates said that they would join me. We left our room and walked to the elevator, where I pushed the button and the door opened almost immediately (this almost never happens because we're on the 6th floor and it usually takes a minute for the elevator to get to that floor). We started to get onto the elevator, and there was a girl on there, which we put almost no thought into because we've ridden on the elevator with as many as 7 people in one elevator before. 

When we walked in, she turned to us and said in a hostile tone: "There's only supposed to be two people on the elevator at a time. There's a sign outside the fucking door!!" 

My roommate and I were taken aback by this, mostly because she had yelled this at us and we hadn't even fully got onto the elevator. We were not expecting this to come from someone in the dorm because nobody really follows the 2 people to one elevator rule (pictured on the sign below). 

We promptly got off the elevator and my roommate looked back and said "Sorry?" 

It took us a few seconds to really process what had just happened. We are halfway through the semester and no one has ever said anything to us like that before. We would have had no problem with it if she had politely asked us to get off the elevator if she was uncomfortable instead of cursing at us to get off. 

We understand there is that rule in place, but we were, in fact, wearing masks and we were going to keep our distance from her, so we thought it was quite rude of her to immediately yell at us to get off. However, we got off and got onto a different elevator, where a guy from another floor got on, and we had not had a problem with it, so we went on with the rest of our trip.

How COVID Has Influenced Music

 As we all know, certain events might influence the kind of music that artists make. The pandemic has done this, where there are many new songs out that are either about or just mention the pandemic and being in quarantine. This is going to be a short post with a list of a few songs that came out this year in response to the pandemic.

- "Six Feet Apart" by Luke Combs

- "Stuck with U" by Ariana Grande & Justin Beiber

- "F2020" by Avenue Beat

- "Better Days" by OneRepublic

- "Flatten the Curve" by FTC

- "The Last Sad Song" by Rod Wave

Learning on a Curve

 Online education has become the go-to method of receiving an education during the pandemic. I'm currently taking 6 courses this semester (14 credit hours), and only 1 one of the 6 courses are in person. Not only that, but the one in-person class I have is an organic chemistry lab that meets once every other week. That means that I stay inside my dorm the majority of the time, where there are many distractions (including my roommates, social media, etc.). I don't think that online learning has created an equal opportunity for everyone because everyone is in different situations. While many of the students that attend UK live in dorms, some of the students living off-campus or at home may be going through hardships at times such as an unstable internet connection or a home environment that limits their ability to get schoolwork done. Also, many students have jobs, including myself, which can be hard to deal with on top of college courses (due to some students not being able to take tests at the specific time range that professors give, or not being able to complete certain assignments before the due date). Not only is everyone in different situations, but online learning has proved it hard to get the proper help needed to pass a class. It is harder to study with people from class because you don't know anyone taking the same classes and Willy T. (the perfect study spot, in my opinion) is only open for a limited amount of time now, instead of for 24 hours, like it has been in the past. It's harder to get away from distractions while you're pretty much stuck in one place. For example, I've had to complete exams online, and despite telling my roommates I had an exam to complete, they were still loud and talking as if I wasn't taking an exam, which made it harder for me to concentrate on the exam I was taking.

I do believe there should be a hardship clause for students impacted by COVID to an extent where they may fail coursework. I believe it should be extended to everyone, frankly, because how can you tell who was impacted more or less by COVID? What would be the criteria required to evaluate what situations are better or worse? It's almost impossible to tell who is impacted more or who isn't. A program can't possibly be implemented fairly, but I think if everyone was given the option to change their classes to pass/fail (which could be accepted the same way as a regular grade would), it would help many students get through the semester without having so many things to worry about during this pandemic.

Taking into account everything that COVID has affected, I think in terms of the job market, I feel like I will be less competitive just because it's harder to find jobs, some companies aren't hiring or they're taking months to get back to people who want the jobs. I also feel like it'll be harder to really determine if you'll be safe during the pandemic if you've never worked at the place you're applying to. Some interviews may end up being conducted online instead of in-person, so it may be more difficult to assess the work environment and see if it's the right fit for you.