Ahyen Labanan

Getty Images Graphic of layered faces in multiple colors, where blue smiles outwardly and purple is internally solemn. Ahyen Labanan, Guest Columnist April 21, 2021 Every moment of my day feels like I am in survival mode. Not only do I fear COVID-19, but I also fear for my safety as an Asian American woman in this country. This fear is something I am not used to sharing, but I will no longer be silent about it. Last year, my news feed was filled with headlines involving Asian hate crimes.

Patrick Murphy A surveillance testing sign hangs on the entrance of the NIU Health Services building. Ahyen Labanan, News Editor September 25, 2020 DeKALB — NIU is conducting contractual negotiations to set up a lab with Northwestern Medicine to implement saliva-based COVID-19 testing as part of its surveillance testing plan, Barrie Bode, chair of the NIU biological sciences department said. The saliva-based testing is part of the University of Illinois System’s testing program.

Ahyen Labanan, News Editor September 25, 2020 DeKALB — NIU’s two-week ban on in-person undergraduate courses and activities will end Monday, according to a Friday email from NIU President Lisa Freeman. “During this pause, we identified new cases within our student surveillance testing population on Sept. 18 and were immediately able to quarantine groups of students who were likely exposed,” Freeman said. “Those students were tested, and the results are represented in Wednesday’s dashboard count.