No rationale for travel restrictions

1 May 2009 -- WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the influenza A(H1N1) virus. Today, international travel moves rapidly, with large numbers of individuals visiting various parts of the world. Limiting travel and imposing travel restrictions would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global community.

Influenza A(H1N1) has already been confirmed in many parts of the world. The focus now is on minimizing the impact of the virus through the rapid identification of cases and providing patients with appropriate medical care, rather than on stopping its spread internationally. Furthermore, although identifying the signs and symptoms of influenza in travelers can be an effective monitoring technique, it is not effective in reducing the spread of influenza as the virus can be transmitted from person to person before the onset of symptoms. Scientific research based on mathematical modeling indicates that restricting travel will be of limited or no benefit in stopping the spread of disease. Historical records of previous influenza pandemics, as well as experience with SARS, have validated this point.

Travelers can protect themselves and others by following simple recommendations related to travel aimed at preventing the spread of infection. Individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travelers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care. These recommendations are prudent measures which can limit the spread of many communicable diseases and not only influenza A(H1N1).

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water – sixty percent alcohol-based hand cleansers work.


• Avoid people who are ill.


• If you’re sick, stay in your apartment.


• Use tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue in a covered trash bin.


• Keep your hands away from your face.


• Clean shared space more often (e.g. phone receivers, keyboards, and office equipment).


• Don’t share personal items such as forks, spoons, toothbrushes and towels.

• Center for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/swineflu
• World Health Organization: www.who.int/en

• The House of Barton is working with Urban Impact, a tutoring center for West African immigrants in Brooklyn, NY. House Members are tutoring students of varying English speaking levels as well as providing a fully developed business plan for Urban Impact.
• The House of Bonhoeffer created and awarded the Bonhoeffer Prize, a humanitarian award designed to honor individuals who embody conviction and courage in their work for humanitarian causes. The House identified worthy candidates in the five boroughs of New York City and awarded the prize to the most deserving.
• Members of the House of Churchill raised money for at-risk youth from local high schools to attend weekly meetings and a retreat for the purpose of exposing them to people interested in their success as well as learning about Jesus.
• The House of Lewis coordinated a series of conferences and seminars for Christians in New York City designed to teach the importance of financial planning.
• Students in the House of Queen Elizabeth worked with battered women in New York by preparing and holding job readiness workshops at women's shelters. They covered computer skills, interview preparation, resume writing, and professional dress.
• The House of Reagan created and distributed an informational DVD about the effects of pornography on young men.
• The House of Susan B. Anthony helped women in the New York City discover their identity by listening to their stories. They partnered with various established ministries dealing with women at three different life stages.
• The House of Thatcher worked with Young Life at Liberty High School. They focused on issues of identity and self-worth.
• The House of Truth addressed sex trafficking in New York City by broadening the community’s awareness of the issue and raising funds for Restore NYC.

1. House of Elizabeth I
2. House of Thatcher
3. House of Lewis
4. House of Bonhoeffer
5. House of Truth
6. House of Reagan
7. House of Churchill
8. House of Barton
9. House of Anthony

• 89% of respondents are employed fulltime, one respondent is attending graduate school.
• 33% of respondents work in business, 39% are in education.
• 39% of respondents average $30,000 to $40,000 a year.
• 61% of respondents plan to go on for a Master’s degree, of which 28% plan to obtain a Doctorate.
• 83% of respondents thought writing clearly and concisely was of major importance, of which 78% thought the College was a major influence in their preparation.
• 89% of respondents thought speaking persuasively was of major importance, of which 56% thought the College was a major influence in their preparation.
• 39% of respondents graduated with no debt, 17% graduated with $15,000 to $20,000 debt.
• 83% of respondents agreed, “the tuition paid was a worthwhile investment.”

• Our community definition of Honor: “Knowing what’s right, Counting the cost, and Doingwhat’s required”
• Discerning who may be invited into our community, and who should not be
• Banned substances, and the consequences for possession of them
• Taking initiative to confront one another in a spirit of love when the situation calls for it your neighbor and how to carry out the Honor Code Violation Procedure

Through the Houses, students also plan plenty of activities on and off campus which offer many opportunities to engage socially with others. These smaller communities within the larger TKC community give students have every chance to get connected academically, socially and spiritually at The King’s College.

Please feel free to email me at sbest@tkc.edu or call me at (212) 659-7292 if you have any questions regarding your son or daughter. I am available to chat.

In my next update, I will address the outlook for Fall 2009 housing.

September

• Experiencing new patterns and environments
• Adjusting to new learning strategies
• Starting to get involved in the House System and meet people
• Getting used to personal responsibility for health and wellness
• Testing newfound freedom

October

• Midterm exams
• Students ask, "Is King’s for me?"
• Developing advanced study habits
• Relationship issues: building new friendships and moving away from old ones
• Roommate challenges

November

• Midterm grades returned
• Many assignments due
• Cold and flu season begins
• Balancing social and academic lives

December

• Exam anxiety
• Fear of failure
• Excitement for semester break
• Holiday gift stress

January

• New term brings new beginnings
• Financial challenges arise
• Grades bring joy or strife

February

• Midterms and assignments pile up
• Health and wellness become important to maintain
• Questioning choice of program or faculty

March

• Summer job search begins in earnest
• Interregnum expectations mount
• Volunteer applications for the following year due

April

• Final Exam stress peaks
• Assessment of first year successes and failures
• Beginning to burnout from the workload
• Financial stresses
• Weather and summer break are distractions

You know your son or daughter, so encourage them how you know best. A word from you means more than you might imagine.

Thanks for your active support.

1. Churchill (Noah Clark, President)
2. Lewis (Dustin Pope, President)
3. Thatcher (Callie Bolstad, President) and Bonhoeffer (Matt Fillingame, President)
4. Elizabeth (Kristen Benz, President)
5. Truth (Susan St. Cyr, President) and Reagan (Manuel Huebschman, President)
6. Barton (Kate Anderson, President)
7. Anthony (Erica Umberger, President)

• Three of our students arranged on outing to hear John Forbes Nash, Jr. lecture on “ideal money.” John Nash is an American mathematician who shared the 1994 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work in game theory, differential geometry and partial differential equations. He was also the subject of the movie, A Beautiful Mind.
• The editor in chief of our very own Student Voice, Hope Hodge, is now a contributor in Washington Post and News Week's “Faithbook,” an online blog promoting cross-faith conversation.
• Stephanie Stallo, member The King’s Council student body president’s cabinet is in the process of creating an association of Student Body Presidents for student government leaders across New York City. To our knowledge, there is no such local organization in existence.
• Amy Cutler worked with the Secret Service during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC and was able to host the from East Africa. She was able to hear President Bush and his wife and meet senators, congressman, presidents of foreign countries and other major world leaders.
• Aaron Craig was recently admitted to an internship with the CNN Operations Association Program. Will Swartz scored an internship with Focused Featured Films, a subsidiary of NBC Universal Studios.
• David Lapp and Anthony Randazzo arranged an informal debate around the concept of predestination which recently made the news in Washington Post.com.
• Miranda Brandt is in the process of arranging a gathering of our brightest students to interact with Dr. Henry Frits Schaefer, one of the world’s leading quantum chemists this March.