PINE PRESS March 2020 Brought to you by the MSU-SHC Education Committee
COVID-19 Resources & Co-op Response By Cassie Feith from Miles Davis  Hello fellow co-opers. As you all know, we are navigating through an unprecedented time. Fortunately, we are wading through these uncharted waters together. As co-opers, we are well versed in being patient, being cooperative, and turning our concern for community into action. Here you will find a link to a page in our SHC website on ​COVID-19 resources and information as it pertains to our organization. Feel free to reach out to staff and/or EC with any questions you may have. Due to the “Stay Home, Stay Safe� Governor Executive Order, the office will remain closed until April 13th. However, Staff continue to work remotely and will be checking email, voicemails, and retrieving any mail regularly. Please email ​info@msu.coop​ with your questions or concerns.
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Take care and look out for yourselves, your housemates, and your community. ​
Haus Love Compiled by Kiran Lantrip from Raft Hill Â
Orion Audrey​- thanks for being a great friend and overall amazing human being. I appreciate you checking in on me <3 miss u love u Mallory​- you’re an amazing human bean! Thanks for being you and always radiating the room with good vibes<3 love u miss u Snickers​- thanks for being the best partner in crime I could’ve asked for... I miss you so much<3 with love, Rico nasty
Raft Hill sanders​, thank you for everything you do for our house! the little things you do around the house other people aren't taking care of really help keep Raft afloat in times like these :)
Beal BIG love for my Beal Babes <3 Also shoutout to Gillian from Bowie. You all make my days brighter Emily Smith you are a dream!! I'm so glad we're neighbors so we can make infinite playlists together, watch indie movies, and stay up until 4am having deep chats. You bring such a good energy to the house I'll miss you a lot next year
How to Stay Occupied When You Have to Stay Home By Emily Tyler from Vesta As you’ve most certainly heard by now, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an order on March 23rd for all Michiganders to “shelter in place” in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. This order is to last three weeks. How on earth are we going to stay occupied at home for three weeks without losing it? Here are some ideas! ★ Read! Now is the perfect time to snuggle up with a book. ★ Write a letter to a friend! Letters are much more personal than a quick text message, and experts say that the virus cannot be spread through the mail. Receiving mail that’s neither a bill nor junk will make your friend happy. ★ Make art! Whether it’s a collage from old magazines, a doodle in a notebook, a bigger project, or perhaps a zine collab’ed with housemates, making art is a good way to keep your brain busy. ★ Clean! Cleaning is a great way to pass the time, and a clean environment is good for your mental and physical health. ★ Cook or bake! Both of these are fun ways to pass the time, and I’m sure your housemates would love if guff cookies magically appeared in your kitchen :) ★ Re-do your bedroom! Rearranging, painting, organizing and whatnot can really make the time go by, and a fresh start always feels good. ★ Discover new music! Poke around on Spotify or Youtube or whatever method you use to listen to music and try to find something new.
★ Go for a walk! While we have to shelter in place, it doesn’t mean we can’t go outside. Going for a walk can clear your mind and get you moving - it’s too easy to stay sedentary in this situation. ★ Call your mom! She’s probably worried about you or other family members during this crisis. Ease her mind and assure her you’re doing fine - she’ll love to hear from you. ★ Start keeping a journal! This is a weird and wacky moment in history we’re living through, and you’d probably be glad to look back in the future and see what your thoughts were at this time. Pick up a notebook and start writing!
Coronavirus Misconceptions, Useful Information, & Reputable Sources of Information By Jonathan Sheehan from Orion As all of you are more than aware, we are currently facing an unprecedented global challenge. In the digital age, we face not only this devastating disease, but also misinformation. Sharing misinformation about COVID-19 isn’t always malicious, as it can be as simple as repeating a rumor. Hopefully this document can help you sort fact from fiction, and link you to reputable sources of information! To clarify, the term Coronavirus simply describes a group of viruses. The phrase “novel Coronavirus” has been used, as this is the first recorded time that this specific virus made the jump from an animal to a human. On December 31st 2019, health authorities in the Chinese city of Wuhan were made aware of a rapidly growing number of cases. This virus was given the temporary scientific name, 2019-CoV. Since then, the virus has been renamed SARS-CoV-2. The disease that is caused by the virus has been named COVID-19.
First Misconception: Social Distancing is an overreaction, I don’t need to practice it!
Facts: Social distancing is a necessary part of flattening the curve. As the images above show, every individual who follows the guidelines is helping slow the spread of the coronavirus. As an individual can be contagious while asymptomatic, you can spread it before you know you're infected. If we all use an abundance of caution, we call all help to end this!
Second Misconception: I’m young and healthy, it would just be like the flu for me…
Facts: This graph, produced for a CDC Report shows the more serious cases in the United States as of March 16th. Although the size of the age groups is not uniform, especially in the 20-44 age range, the graph still conveys a harrowing trend. Does this virus require more older people to get hospitalized? Yes. However, the number of “non-vulnerable” people who need to be hospitalized should raise some caution. Of particular risk for complications, in all groups, are those with pre-existing medical conditions or with a weakened or compromised immune system. Although you may be at a lower risk for developing complications, that doesn’t mean that the people you interact with are. Many experts recommend acting as if you are contagious no matter what, to ensure not only your safety, but also for the safety of those around you.
Third Misconception: X can prevent me from getting/can cure/can kill SARS-CoV-2
Facts: With this new virus, lots of rumors and half truths have been circulating. It is important to be skeptical of any treatments you see online, as the proper clinical trial process to confirm the benefit of a medicine or product takes time. People in the US have already died from self administering pseudo-cures. If you feel sick, the first step should always be to contact a medical provider. The insights of a trained professional will always be better than what you find online. Another topic of misinformation in the pandemic is what products work to kill the virus on surfaces and skin. In the ‘Reputable Sources Link’, you can find the EPA’s list of cleaning supplies that meet their criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2. Lots of recipes for homemade hand sanitizer have been circulating online, and not all of them would work to kill the virus. According to the CDC: “Hand washing mechanically removes pathogens, while laboratory data demonstrate that 60% ethanol and 70% isopropanol, the active ingredients in CDC-recommended alcohol-based hand sanitizers, inactivates viruses that are genetically related to, and with similar physical properties as, the 2019-nCoV.”
Any recipe with less alcohol content (i.e ones made from Tito’s or other vodkas) are not effective substitutes for a stronger sanitizer or hand washing.
Fourth Misconception: I should wear a mask to protect myself from contracting COVID-19
Facts: Although a mask can protect you from airborne droplets carrying the virus, the World Health Organization doesn’t recommend healthy individuals use them unless you are in contact with someone who has, or is expected to test positive for COVID-19. For sick individuals, masks can be an effective way of limiting their contagiousness. However, masks are only effective if used properly. Masks should completely cover your face and nose, and should never be touched when in use. When a mask is damp, it should be discarded, and not reused (unless the mask is specifically reusable). To remove a mask, only touch the back, throw it away immediately, and wash your hands. A mask won’t protect you if you don’t use it properly.
It is also important to note that if you are using resources like masks in abundance, or not out of necessity, you could be putting your community at a greater risk. Many hospitals are facing shortages of PPE, or personal protective equipment for their healers. If these doctors and nurses can’t protect themselves, they will be unable to help our community. Please see the Lansing State Journal article linked in the links below for information about making donations to Lansing area hospitals and urgent cares.
Useful Information The graphic below compares the symptoms of common respiratory illnesses. Although many have common symptoms, they all present themselves differently.
Like masks, gloves can be an effective way of protecting yourself from viruses. However, they need to be properly used to be effective. Aside from touching your face while wearing them, the greatest risk for accidental contamination comes when improperly removing your gloves.
Reputable Sources Links For a current map and case statistics, please visit John Hopkins’ Coronavirus Resource Center. For updates from the State of Michigan or the Ingham County Health Department, please visit the links. Both sites have press releases and updated guidelines, as well as case numbers. For a list of cleaning supplies approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus, see the embedded link. It is extremely important to follow the cleaning instructions and contact time recommendations to ensure proper sanitation. For comprehensive information about all aspects of the pandemic, please visit either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization For information about donating medical supplies to local hospitals and urgent care, please read the Lansing State Journal’s article.
Sounds of the SHC Compiled by Kiran Lantrip from Raft Hill Here are your music recommendations for the month of March! Be on the lookout for a Spotify playlist on the SHC Facebook page.
Andy Shauf new album! (Howland) new Car Seat Headrest and Gorillaz singles (Howland) Shabba by A$AP Ferg (Raft) Dragonball Durag — Thundercat (New
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Egg- The Garden. It has been delightfully stuck in my head since I first heard it last year. (Vesta) Tondo by Disclosure (Orion) Powerglide - Rae Sremmurd ft Juicy J (Beal) Artists - Oliver Tree, Songs - Skibidi by Little Big, Give me Your Money by Little Big & Tommy Cash, Wait a Minute! By WILLOW (Raft Hill) "Emma's House" by the field mice! (Also a good cover by Aberdeen!) (Vesta) Keep on Keeping On by Alice Cohen and the Channel 14 Weather Team (Raft) Aberdeen by Avi Kaplan (Apollo) Run The Jewels-Oh La La, Run The Jewels-Yankee and The Brave, 3Teeth-American Landfill, Niereich and Shadym-Turn Your Back (Harambee)
Sustainability Series #2: Waste Disposal By Connor Meston from Rivendell � Want to reduce your household waste by up to 30%? Always be sure to compost acceptable food waste by following a Composting Guide when throwing out food. Food
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waste DOES NOT compost properly in a landfill into viable soil due to suffocation & contamination by inorganic garbage Purchase ecologically-friendly detergents & cleaning supplies as much as possible to reduce water contamination & indoor fumes (many natural home remedies for messes can also be found online - discretion advised) Properly dispose of hazardous waste through local services (batteries, CFL/curly bulbs, electronics, chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs, etc.) Purchase food in bulk w/ reusable bags & avoid take-out to limit trash Use a travel mug & water bottle to avoid disposable cups & bottles Irritated that your favorite foods come in too much or unsustainable packaging? Write a letter or email the companies making them, express your concern, and ask your housemates to join in (also, ask them to source as locally as possible to reduce fossil fuel use in transport!)
That’s All, Folks! Thanks for reading!
541 E Grand River Ave Ste 6 East Lansing, MI 48823 (517).355.8313