By Zachary Masters
On campus, students led by Professor Greg McClure plan to share community members' experiences through the COVID-19 pandemic utilizing their project, Dear Covid. The Appalachian reports the project is the culmination of a semester's worth of discussion and research as a part of the Education as a Practice of Freedom seminar. The aim of Dear Covid is to provide an outlet for students, faculty, and community members to voice their struggles caused by the pandemic and gain a deeper connection with other members of the Appalachian State community. People are encouraged to participate by writing a small word or phrase on a piece of cloth that will be displayed on Sanford Mall in the coming weeks.
In local news, The Appalachian reports that Governor Roy Cooper expects that most COVID-19 Restrictions should be lifted by June 1st. Cooper believes that if two-thirds of the adults in North Carolina become vaccinated, there will no longer be a necessity for social distancing requirements, capacity limits or mass gathering restrictions. However, a mask mandate will remain in place regardless of if this goal is reached. With half of North Carolinian adults at least partially vaccinated, there is a great deal of confidence in the Governor that his timeline will be met.
Nationally, The New York Times reports that several major contributors to greenhouse gases emissions made no promises to curb their use of fossil fuels. During President Joe Biden's Summit meeting on climate change, Australia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Russia all were silent when asked if they would cut down on the use of oil, gas or coal. Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, stated that President Xi Jinping would work with the US, ”If the United States no longer interferes in China’s internal affairs…”
This afternoon’s weather comes from BooneWeather.com. Today, enjoy some warmer weather with the sun being a constant presence throughout the day. Prepare for a high of 69 degrees and a low of 47 degrees with winds reaching anywhere from 5-10 mph.