3NEWS

With the H1N1 virus going around, sanitation is key in order to prevent the virus from spreading. As of August 25, the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu, has sickened over one million Americans. A more hazardous spread of the virus is scheduled to take place in the upcoming seasons. With that stated, what procedures can people take in order to decrease their chances of receiving the virus? Washing hands more frequently is one of the main solutions. Health organizations around the world are working hard to relay this message. Germs are easily spread from one person, or object, to another through hand contact. Although hands may appear to be clean after washing them, bacteria is still present.

When people wash their hands, they place bacteria on the faucets. Then once they turn the faucets off, those same bacteria that were placed on them are put back onto the hands. To avoid this, use a paper towel to turn off water faucets. Also use a paper towel to open a bathroom door if necessary. This keeps the hands from receiving bacteria and germs that someone who did not wash his

or her hands put on the door. Students touch several objects

before they eat lunch. Whether it’s picking a pencil off the floor, or giving a friend a handshake, germs are exchanged. Therefore, it is extremely mandatory that everyone wash his or her hands before he or she consumes food. Furthermore, avoid eating and drinking after others. The bacteria that are present on the hands can move onto food and become present in the digestive system.

It is a fear that students will have to wait longer in the lunch line if they take the time to thoroughly wash their hands first. While this is understandable, common sense must be used as well. The swine flu is a deadly virus and precautions should be taken in order to prevent it from spreading.

There is no way to ensure that one’s hands stay clean all of the time. That is why the next solution is to try to avoid touching the nose, eyes, and mouth. The nose,

mouth, and eyes are the easiest ways in which bacteria can enter the body. By simply rubbing the eyes or touching the nose, germs are transmitted into the inside of the body.

It is mandatory to cover the mouth when one coughs or sneezes. After covering the mouth, the hands need to be washed as quickly as possible, otherwise the germs that are on them have

the possibility of getting onto surfaces that others interact with. For example, if someone sneezes into his or her hands and then touches a door handle, the next person who touches that door handle gets germs on their hands and so on.

When someone coughs or sneezes,

it is a good idea to cover the mouth with the forearm instead of the hands in the first place. This prevents the hands from putting germs back into the body after they are used to cover the mouth for a second time. Covering the mouth and then wiping the hands on articles of clothing such as pants

does not get the germs off, it places them right back on the body.

Placing contaminated tissues on desks is unsanitary as well. By leaving a tissue that was used to blow the nose on a desk, the next student who sits at that desk could catch those germs. Tissues should be used to cover the nose and mouth and disposed of quickly. After throwing the tissue away, wash or sanitize the hands. Although people may not take these precautions or think that this applies to them, once a flu epidemic spreads, no one is safe. Despite the fact that flu vaccines are available to prevent the virus, they may not be entirely effectual. Sanitation is always effective when preventing illness.

Swine Time is Not Devine Darron Dariels

With a sixty-two million dollar bond approved by voters, the Career Center is on the move and moving fast. The current building is located behind Forsyth Technical Community College on Miller Street, almost impossible to see from Silas Creek Parkway. The secondary school offers Advance Placement classes, plus career technical courses, and serves roughly 2,000 students from the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School District.

The Career Center provides a loose, more college-like atmosphere, allowing students to come and go according to their individual schedules. Also, students have the ability to meet new people from different areas of the community and add to their social network. Sadly, not all schools are as widely represented as others. One of the main goals of this move is to make the learning facility more available to Atkins and Carver, who as of now don’t have a very high enrollment rate.

The relocation committee debated the question of where the new location would be for quite some time. They were not sure if it was a wise decision to build a completely new building or to

renovate an existing one already owned by the school system. After weeks of research and planning, they came to the conclusion that the most sensible solution was to just renovate the Kennedy Learning Center on H i g h l a n d A v e n u e , which is right off Highway 52. The entire c a m p u s is to be transformed, and the c u r r e n t t e a c h e r s at Career Center are expected to move along with the facility.

Although this move makes the school more a v a i l a b l e to a broad spectrum of students, it is going to be a long haul for students who attend Reagan and West Forsyth. Another concern that has been voiced is the assumed socioeconomic status of the surrounding communities

around Martin Luther King Drive and how they may be less than impressive for a location of a new school. Many parents may opt to not send their children to a school in that area of town, backfiring the

purpose of the move. The board recognizes this and they know it will take a lot of work to change the mind of the public about the security of the school and the safety of the students.

But what happens to the current building on Miller Street? The plan as

of now is to allow F o r s y t h

Technical Community College to expand their classrooms into the building, giving a much-needed relief to the space issues that they are facing.

Chad Cartwright There is no set date as to when all this moving and renovating will be finished, but it is projected that enrollment at the Highland location will begin the 2011 school year. Little known to the students of Forsyth County who do not attend the Career Center, the administrative offices are also located at the Forsyth Technical Community College location on Miller Street. The county and school board voted on buying a $2.5 million 67,000 square foot building from Hanes Brands Inc. on Bethania Station Road, that is all too close to the Viking realm, replacing the administrative offices that are located at the current Miller Street location. With this acquisition of such a large building, all the administrative staff of the school board can and will be consolidated to one location, instead of spread throughout the county as they are now.

Although this is an expensive and time consuming feat for the county and school board, in the end it will do away with the dilapidated classrooms and equipment and bring together the administrative staff who work so very hard and diligently.

Sanitizer is essential to the prevention of the H1N1 virus.

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Washing hands effectively for twenty seconds kills bacteria.

The Kennedy Learning Center, the future home of the Career Center.

The current location of the Career Center on Forsyth Technical Community College’s Campus.

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