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Ask an expert: Staying COVID-safe this coming holiday, winter season

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 19:08:22 +0000

Ask an expert: Staying COVID-safe this coming holiday, winter season Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/15/2021 - 12:08

Kelsey Simpkins

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Oct. 28, 2020, and has been updated for the 2021 season.

As cases spike and cold weather arrives in Colorado, people are spending more time indoors and once again debating if and how they should travel for the holidays. With COVID-19 cases on the rise nationally, it remains important to reduce one’s risk of contracting or spreading this airborne virus.

Here is updated advice from CU Boulder’s Shelly Miller, professor of mechanical engineering and expert in indoor air quality, about the ways we can all help reduce our risk and keep our communities safe during the winter season.

Professor Shelly Miller. (Credit: Glenn Asakawa, CU Boulder)

What is the main thing people should keep in mind going into this winter season to lower their risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19?

Update: Full vaccination of two or three doses is an important layer of protection against COVID-19. On Nov. 11, 2021, Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order that made all adults in Colorado eligible for booster shots, an order which formally declares that the entire state is at risk from COVID-19.

What I would really like to stress is that the best way to keep yourself safe is to use a layered approach. Any one layer will only reduce your risk by maybe 50%. These layers include: the amount of time you spend indoors, the number of people you spend time with, and how far you are from them. Are you always wearing a mask? Is the space well-ventilated? What comes later are the easy things, like hand hygiene and surface cleaning. You have to consider them all before you make your decision and assume that your risk is low enough.

If a person chooses to travel home for the holidays, how can they significantly reduce their risk?

Update: According to Miller and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person does not need to quarantine before or after flying, but doing so can add a valuable layer of protection for those at high risk of COVID-19. According to the CDC, if exposed to COVID-19, fully vaccinated people should get tested five to seven days after their exposure even if they don’t have symptoms and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days or until their test result is negative.

Staying in motels and hotels are OK, but I would recommend trying to find one where you can park outside and then just go into your room, where there are no shared hallways. I ask, how long has it been since somebody else has been in the space? Ideally, it’s 24 hours, so the aerosols have settled and begun to inactivate.

When riding in a car with other people, wearing masks and opening the windows for short periods of time reduces the chance of transmission.

Opening windows in your home for a short time every hour will bring fresh air inside and help make an indoor space safer.

For the times when you need to or have to be indoors, how can you tell if a space is well ventilated or safe enough to be in for a time?

Update: According to the CDC, masks are not required if all people indoors together are fully vaccinated.

The first thing I’m looking for is whether they have windows or doors open. Even if windows and doors are not open, they can still allow outside air to infiltrate an indoor space because it's an opening in the building shell. Bigger volumes, like large spaces with high ceilings, are also better because there's more volume for the virus to mix around in, diluting it.

The second thing I look for is how many people are in the space, and are they all wearing masks? If there are people in there who aren’t wearing masks, I will leave. If you’re having people over at your own home and talking, you’re going to be generating a ton of aerosol. The only way to keep yourself safe in that space is to wear a mask. You have to wear a mask if you want to hang out and talk with other people and share their air.

Is it worth it to open a window in the winter?

You can open a window for 10 or 15 minutes, then turn on your heater and close the window, and repeat that every hour. And yes, it will get cold, but you've now brought fresh air in and you've exhausted warm air. Then you can close it up.

If you are outside with a propane heat lamp or a gas-fired heater, you might be generating a little bit of carbon monoxide. Make sure you have enough ventilation to dilute the carbon monoxide that you're building up.

How does turning on the heat in your home affect its ventilation?

In most homes, when you turn on the heat, you're recirculating the indoor air through a coarse filter and it can also increase the infiltration of air outside coming in. So, in general, running your heat is going to be a helpful thing to do to keep your indoor environment clean. You can also run your exhaust hoods in the bathroom and over your stove, which will take inside air and throw it out. Then, outside air will have to infiltrate into your house and it will increase your ventilation.

For more information, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment website on COVID-19 or The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 homepage.

It's important to reduce one’s risk of contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. Learn from expert Shelly Miller about the ways we can all help reduce our risk and keep our communities safe.

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CU’s Japanese-English language exchange comes full circle

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 15:32:04 +0000

CU’s Japanese-English language exchange comes full circle Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 09/27/2021 - 09:32

“Language is not a genetic gift; it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club––the community of speakers of that language.” –Frank Smith

Smith’s quotation speaks to the essence of language: that it is a social act. By learning another language, we open ourselves to other cultures and even new communities.

There’s no doubt many of us have felt isolated in the COVID-19 era––we struggle to connect, in-person at a distance, online via Zoom and FaceTime. The year 2020 pushed the limits of our creativity to find means of communion with others. One CU community that has flourished during the past year and a half of remote learning is the Japanese/English Conversation Hour group, co-hosted by the International English Center (IEC) and the Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations (ALC) since 2013.

Japanese/English Conversation Hour held outdoors in August 2021

A typical Japanese/English Conversation Hour is a lively gathering of undergraduate and graduate students speaking English and Japanese. Some students just beginning their language studies shyly introduce themselves in the new language. Others who have studied Japanese or English for several years are eagerly chatting, discussing their lives and finding common interests. All of the students, no matter their language level, enjoy a half hour of English and a half hour of Japanese to apply and use what they have been studying, using it to communicate across cultures and make friends that reach beyond that monthly gathering.

What makes the Japanese/English Conversation Hour such a remarkable collaboration is the number of different communities it has brought together, beyond the IEC-ALC connection. Because of the remote nature of the conversation hour meetings, Japanese CU alumni and Japanese students studying English at universities in Tokyo (Tokyo Denki, Tokyo Kezai, Juntendo, Seijo, Kansai Gaidai) have been able to join CU students who are taking undergraduate-level Japanese at ALC. Many current and former Japanese students who have studied language at the IEC or attended classes at CU as exchange students have participated in the events as a way to stay connected to the university.

Through the connections made in the Japanese/English Conversation Hour, the Asian Language Center has extended the IEC’s collaboration with Tokyo Kezai University (TKU). TKU facilitates an additional language and cultural exchange that connects CU undergraduates studying Japanese with TKU undergraduates studying English.

The last time participants met in person before the pandemic was on Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Participants came to the IEC’s student lounge for an hour of language and cultural exchange, building on friendships they had begun in previous gatherings. Not wanting to lose momentum and the relationships that had been cultivated over the years, and without missing a beat, on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, the IEC and ALC launched their first Zoom Japanese/English Conversation Hour.

Over the past year and a half, students have come to rely on the monthly gatherings as not only a way to practice Japanese and English, but also as a means of making friendships across campus and the globe. Participants have said they appreciated the opportunity to make friends with native speakers in an informal, comfortable, low-stakes setting.

These gatherings, which have academic value and purpose, provide participants with an important boost to their mental health by giving them something to look forward to and offering an opportunity to meet and communicate during a time when making social connections is challenging.

The IEC was thrilled to welcome back students living locally to gather at Beach Park in July and September 2021 to reconnect and make new friends in the Japanese-English language community. Moving forward, the IEC and ALC will continue to offer Zoom conversation hours and occasional masked in-person gatherings at the International English Center’s student courtyard.

If you are a CU student learning Japanese or a Japanese student speaking English as another language and would like to join, visit the International English Center and Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations for more information.

A language exchange collaboration between CU and Japanese universities has evolved and adapted to serve its student community in the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape.

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Engineers adjust plans to support Colorado town

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 22:07:20 +0000

Engineers adjust plans to support Colorado town Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/27/2021 - 16:07

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, sophomore Sophie Woods and the Engineers Without Borders Puerto Rico team faced difficulties due to the inability to travel. They made the difficult decision to suspend the Puerto Rico project and began searching for creative opportunities to bring engineering solutions to under-resourced communities.

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Alumnus harnesses blockchain for secure purchasing of personal protective equipment

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:11:58 +0000

Alumnus harnesses blockchain for secure purchasing of personal protective equipment Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/14/2021 - 10:11

A Forever Buff is using his technology background to help small and medium-size companies order personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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New online network connects and supports Colorado’s rural entrepreneurs

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 01:19:07 +0000

New online network connects and supports Colorado’s rural entrepreneurs Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/31/2021 - 19:19

Daniel Strain

Banner image: Railroad Avenue in Dolores, Colorado. (Credit: CC photo by Jeffrey Beall via Wikimedia Commons)

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Elizabeth Philbrick and her husband Jared Scott weren’t sure about the future of their new business in Dolores, Colorado.

The couple had just opened EsoTerra Cider out of what used to be the Mountain Sun Juice factory in Dolores—a town with a population of less than 1,000 people in southwest Colorado.

EsoTerra Cider serves up libations with fanciful names like the Quercus Schmercus, Bear Bait and Apre All Day. But as infections were raging across the state, the couple’s business was having trouble covering expenses. And for bureaucratic reasons, the cidery wasn’t eligible for COVID-19 relief loans from the government.

Left: Elizabeth Philbrick and her child, Avery, at EsoTerra Cider in Dolores, Colorado; right: Jared Scott inspects a glass of cider. (Credits: Elizabeth Phiilbrick)

So Philbrick and Scott put out a call for help or advice on a new resource: an online tool for small business owners called the Startup Colorado Network. The network was launched in 2020 by Startup Colorado, an outreach program within Silicon Flatirons at the CU Law School. It connects rural entrepreneurs with business resources, as well as fellow business owners, mentors and funders.

For EsoTerra, which at the height of apple season employs about seven people, it paid off.

Within days, they had received a flood of comments and were eventually able to apply for and receive a loan from a local economic develop fund.

“As an entrepreneur, having someone to help walk you through those first few years is immensely important,” Philbrick said. “If you think it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a lot more than just one village to raise a business off the ground.”

Delaney Keating, managing director of Startup Colorado, added that her team is also made up of people who live and work in rural Colorado and have a passion for these small towns. While some of these communities have gone through growth spurts in recent years, others are losing residents—posing challenges to people who want to start new businesses there.

“Rural Colorado isn’t always underserved or underresourced like many people seem to believe,” Keating said. “There are a lot of resources, but they’re often variable, so we need to connect them in better ways.”

Missing generation

Top: Delaney Keating (right) talks to Brad Feld (left), managing director of the Foundry Group in Boulder, during an event at the West Slope Startup Week in 2019; bottom: A screenshot from the Startup Colorado Network. (Credits: Startup Colorado)

John Wittler is tuned into those challenges. He grew up in Pritchett, Colorado, in the southeast corner of the state. Today, he’s a regional coordinator for Ogallala Commons, a non-profit organization that works to “reinvigorate communities and commonwealths in the Great Plains Region.”

The story, he said, is a familiar one to anyone who watches the local news in Colorado: Young people in some of the state’s small towns are leaving to seek out job opportunities elsewhere. Baca County, home to Pritchett, had a population of almost 8,000 people in 1950. Today, that number is closer to 3,800, and the State of Colorado projects that it will fall to 2,800 by 2050.

“You’ve got an aging population in these communities, and it points to almost a missing generation of leaders,” Wittler said.

There are a lot of reasons why starting a business in rural Colorado can be difficult. Many small towns lack the infrastructure that larger cities boast for launching new projects, and the labor force can be small. But there are benefits, too. These communities are often tight-knit and want to see their residents succeed, Wittler said. There are also plenty of young people who want to live and work where they grow up—they just need the chance.

“As we change to a digital society instead of an all-physical one, there are opportunities for entrepreneurship in rural communities that haven’t existed before,” Wittler said.

Building ecosystems

The Startup Colorado organization has worked to foster that kind of entrepreneurial environment since 2011. The group collaborates with what it calls “ecosystem builders,” such as state government agencies, small business development councils and organizations like Ogallala Commons, to provide guidance to Colorado entrepreneurs. Its programs have focused on everything from coordinating statewide regional resource calls during the pandemic to sponsoring educational events.

The group’s new online network, which was designed in collaboration with rural Coloradans like Wittler, is a central hub where people can meet and share ideas. If a user wants to find marketing advice or get a good recommendation for a CFO in Yuma County, they can post a message to the site. The tool also allows members to form their own mini-groups focused on specific regions or industries. There are currently smaller networks dedicated to local food and agriculture and the outdoor industry, among others.

And while the resource is still in its infancy, it’s been growing steadily with roughly 467 registered users as of March 2021. Keating—who herself lives in the small town of Gunnison—said the project is like a “startup for startups.”

Elizabeth Philbrick and Jared Scott's child, Avery, snacks on the day's apple harvest. (Credit: Elizabeth Philbrick)

“The work can be intense, but we hustle hard,” Keating said. “We understand the pain points of these rural entrepreneurs, and we also understand how these ecosystem builders work hard with limited resources to reach people in their regions.”

Wittler thinks that the hard work is paying off.

“The Startup team has been amazing to work with,” he said. “Their vision has great alignment with what I think needs to happen in rural Colorado.”

A lot of love

For Philbrick, starting a small business in rural Colorado has been a love story of sorts.

She and her now-husband met in 2015 when they were both graduate students at Colorado State University. They moved to Dolores so that they could start a family, while also tapping into some of Montezuma County’s hidden gems: historic apple orchards, many of which date back to the early 1900s, that grow rare fruit varieties with names like “jasper jelly” and “the transcendent.”

And it’s a passion that they now get to share with someone new: their first child, Avery.

“Our little 1-year-old was out on the porch with Jared all summer,” Philbrick said, “just eating a bushel of apples all day.”

Many of Colorado's small towns are losing young people as they follow job opportunities in bigger cities. But a new effort is trying to reinvigorate the economies of these tight-knit communities.

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CEDaR food bank project helps with logistical issues during pandemic

Anonymous — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 22:16:02 +0000

CEDaR food bank project helps with logistical issues during pandemic Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/29/2021 - 16:16

In this collaboration, the Community Engagement, Design and Research Center and the Denver Department of Health & Environment are jointly tackling how to best manage information and activities among dozens of small and large Denver food banks during times of increased demand.

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Pandemic workaround: Choral Conductors Colloquium

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 16:50:41 +0000

Pandemic workaround: Choral Conductors Colloquium Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/19/2021 - 10:50

The COVID-19 pandemic blindsided not only arts organizations and presenters, but also arts education and mentorship. Fortunately, doctoral student Raul Dominguez knew just what to do.

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Competition winners deliver equitable vaccine distribution answers for Colorado governments

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 16:31:53 +0000

Competition winners deliver equitable vaccine distribution answers for Colorado governments Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/19/2021 - 10:31

Four teams of graduate students competed for the top prize in the 20th annual Net Impact Case Competition run by students at the Leeds School of Business.

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Student teachers and mentor teachers support one another with joy, creativity in the classroom

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:55:08 +0000

Student teachers and mentor teachers support one another with joy, creativity in the classroom Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/09/2021 - 09:55

In these unusual times, the School of Education is grateful for school partners, who are helping CU Boulder student teachers navigate challenging times. We asked student teachers and their mentor teachers what their partnership has meant to them.

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Get tested and get a chance at winning gift cards, AirPods, more

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:52:41 +0000

Get tested and get a chance at winning gift cards, AirPods, more Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/15/2021 - 12:52

CU Boulder students, staff and faculty who participate in weekly COVID-19 monitoring testing and complete the Buff Pass daily health check-in are now eligible for weekly and monthly prizes.

Prizes include $100, $50 and $25 gift cards to retailers including Whole Foods, Hulu, eBay, Apple, Spotify; $100, $50 and $10 CU Book Store gift cards; Apple AirPods and iPads; Galaxy Buds; and more.

Each week, those who participated in monitoring testing and completed the Buff Pass are entered to win. Participation information is stored free of private health information. Winners, identified by their student or employee ID, are selected from this list and will be notified by the Pandemic Response Office via their colorado.edu email.

Learn more

Find other ways to protect yourself and your community on the Protect Our Herd website.

Individuals on campus following the Protect Our Herd guidelines may also receive on-the-spot giveaways in different locations on campus during the first week of in-person courses.

Regular monitoring testing can catch asymptomatic cases, which is vital to curbing the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in the community. All students, faculty and staff are required to complete the Buff Pass each day they intend to be on the CU Boulder campus.

“The goal of monitoring testing is to reduce community spread of COVID-19 by proactively monitoring, identifying and referring possible cases to the public health clinic for diagnostic testing,” said Jennifer McDuffie, associate vice chancellor of Health and Wellness Services.

Monitoring testing requires just 2 minutes each week and will help keep the campus community healthy.

“We know our students, faculty and staff care about our community and it’s been a hard year. We want to thank them and recognize them for doing the things we know curb the spread of the virus,” McDuffie said.

For more information on campus response to the pandemic, log in at noon each Tuesday through the spring semester to hear status updates on campus COVID-19 impacts and to ask questions during the weekly campus Q&A.

The incentive program will continue through spring semester.

Campus community members: Participate in the COVID-19 monitoring program and become eligible for prizes, including gift cards to retailers like Whole Foods, Hulu, eBay, Apple and Spotify; CU Book Store gift cards; Apple AirPods and iPads; Galaxy Buds; and more.

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