Campus Update
Luke Garrett / News Editor / The USD Vista
Probable mumps case at USD
Mumps might be back on campus after a four-year respite. The Student Health Center received notice on Oct. 18 that a USD graduate student was diagnosed with probable mumps, according to an email sent out to the entire campus community.
A “small number” of classmates were exposed to the diagnosed student but all of the exposed are fully vaccinated, which lowers their risk of developing mumps, according to the Student Health Center Director Pamela Sikes. The graduate student with mumps is off campus and recovering.
The USD Student Health Center provides the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine to students. For students with the with the university’s health insurance, the immunization is free; the vaccine is $75 otherwise.
Some students may remember the 2016 mumps outbreak on campus, when 13 students were affected by the disease. Many of these diagnosed in 2016 had received two measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccines, but not a third booster MMR. In 2016, USD gave out 2,100 free vaccines to students.
Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus can infect others through coughing, sneezing, and sharing consumable products. Symptoms include a few days of fever that develop into a headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and loss of appetite, according to the center. Within two days of contracting the disease, most people with mumps experience swollen salivary glands and jaw, along with puffy cheeks.
Anyone with symptoms of mumps is urged to self-isolate and see a medical provider, as soon as possible.
ASG senate transparency
Associated Student Government members made mention of transparency again this past Thursday and announced the steps they have already taken to address the issue.
Public Relations Chair Daniel Rodriguez posted all of the senate minutes on the ASG website and agendas as well as instructed all of the senators to have their office hours updated online.
The ASG Instagram livestream is set to be uploaded on YouTube and archived so students can watch the senate meeting after it has occurred.
Repair project and road closure
Valley Field and the hillside surrounding it have undergone an emergency construction project this past month because of a storm drain burst, according to project manager Ron Weatherford.
USD officials discovered the pipe break in June and began a $200,000 construction project on Sept. 16.
The project manager said the pipes were made of galvanized steel and were eaten away by USD’s corrosive soil over the year. USD is re-laying 500 feet of polyurethane during the repair project.
During the repair, construction workers discovered that a “man hole” on Alcalá Park Way had collapsed because of similar corrosion, according to Weatherford. This prompted the recent emergency road closures communicated to the USD campus.
Weatherford estimates a Nov. 15 end date for the repair project.
Two reported vehicle burglaries
A pair of cars were reported stolen on Oct. 22 at the University of San Diego. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) notified residents of the two burglaries the day they were reported.
The first theft occurred at 4:13 a.m. on Oct. 22 at the University Terrace Apartments (UTA’s) east parking lot, according to DPS. The second car was stolen some time between Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 at the Alcalá Vistas north parking lot.
The investigation is still ongoing and no suspect(s) are in custody, DPS said in a email notification.