On Dystopian Experiences
Gabby Lozano, Dining Editor
Walking through the Javits Center made me feel like I was the main character in one of those dystopian movies. As I made my way through the building, the wide, empty space echoed with announcements regarding the vaccine process. It felt like I was living in a futuristic dystopia. My vaccination experience was narcissistic, euphoric and awe-inspiring.
On Pfizer Supremacy
Jake Capriotti, Photo Editor
If you ain’t Pfizer gang, we can’t Pfizer hang. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.
On New Beginnings
Ashley Wu, Opinion Editor
I got my first shot of Moderna in a church in rural Georgia. I wore my special vaccine turtleneck, a black ribbed sweater with grommets running up and down my arm. I didn’t even have to roll up my sleeve to get the shot. Everyone was complimenting me, and I felt like the flyest bitch in the vaccine center. The church was right next to Babyland General Hospital, a massive colonial structure containing upwards of a hundred Cabbage Patch dolls sprouting from the roots of a tree. In fact, there is even a ritual performed on the hour where lucky museumgoers can witness the birth of a Cabbage Patch baby as it is pushed out of a giant cabbage. I brought my dad there under the guise of it being a hospital for babies. I watched his face twist in horror as he registered the masses of oval-faced plastic creatures stuffed into every corner. That somehow made it all worth it.
On NYU Vaccination
Alexandra Chan, Multimedia Editor
Thanks, no thanks for the vaccine raffle, NYU. I need both shots before I get kicked out of the dorms on May 19, and it feels evil that I only received that email about NYU offering vaccines two full days after our article was published. I can’t put my finger on it, but the way that NYU dangled student vaccines in front of us for months also feels wrong. Hm.
On Making A Vaccine Appointment
Kaylee DeFreitas, Deputy Managing Editor
You would think by now we would have a better, less panic-inducing way to schedule a vaccine appointment. When I found out I was eligible in New Jersey, I immediately tried to find any appointment I could. Four Twitter bot accounts, three Facebook groups, and hours spent on every corporate drugstore’s vaccine websites later, I finally got lucky enough to book an appointment. The appointment showed up at around 11 p.m., glowing like a beacon of hope on the Walgreens website. The relief didn’t last long, as I quickly typed in my information and checked all the right boxes to secure my place. When I went in for my first dose, the woman vaccinating me said, “You got lucky, someone canceled last minute. Seems like looking for an appointment is like a full-time job now.” I am so glad to be getting my second dose in two weeks, but I never want to go through the pure terror and anxiety hellscape that is COVID-19 vaccine scheduling again.
Raves
On Just Getting It Done
Nicole Chiarella, Copy Chief
Let’s give it up for vaccines! Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson — have your choice and get vaccinated! Do it for the free Krispy Kreme donuts. Do it for Coachella. Do it for Broadway. Do it for your safety and everyone else’s. Just do it!
On Surprises
Emily Dai, Opinion Editor
I think they should put fun, extra things in the vaccine, as a treat.
On Looking Forward to It
Alexandria Johnson, Editor in Chief
I haven’t gotten a vaccine yet, but I am looking forward to it. When I studied abroad in Ghana last spring, I was disappointed about having to leave midway through the semester. I did not get to have the study-abroad experience that I had been anticipating for years, and it felt like a letdown. Not to mention, getting a virtual graduation from NYU doesn’t sit right with me, but that’s a discussion for another day. Once I get vaccinated and get my degree, I wouldn’t mind traveling (with social distancing protocols, of course!) and exploring the world I missed out on from last year.
Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.
Email WSN Staff at [email protected].
