Going green by growing food From the desk of the Roundup EDITORIAL

Green thumbs don’t have to be for plants; they can be for communities too.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people have been struggling financially due to layoffs and less hours at work. In some cases, people were uncertain whether they’d be able to have enough food at home.

According to a study by USC, one in four L.A. County households experienced food insecurity within the first four months of the pandemic.

With Pierce’s large campus measuring 426 acres, dedicating a space for a community garden should be fairly easy.

With a community garden, opportunities would open for people in the area to become more active, have healthier diets and it could potentially ease the stress of many families.

A community garden study, published by the Oxford University Press, said participants voiced the idea that gardening contributed to the improvement of their mental health.

The Oxford study added that in many cases, some of the participants were able to make a significant difference in their household food cost by

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BY REZA RASTEGARRAZI

Being on camera may make some people nervous, but in the test setting, others argue it may be necessary.

With the COVID-19 restrictions forcing classes to go online, schools should keep Proctorio to prevent students from cheating on exams.

When students come to class in person, they apply a series of principles like not speaking without permission or not cheating during exams.

Because in-person teaching has ceased, we have to adapt these practices to the online environment. Proctorio pushes students to learn the material and prepare themselves for exams.

According to Oregon State University, Proctorio analyzes anything unusual and uses the data to figure out whether or not there’s been fraud. Any unnatural movement will cause the computer to automatically notify the substituting store-bought foods with the local produce.

Community gardens are also inexpensive and sustainable. Pierce has an agricultural program, so students would be able to help maintain the garden and get a learning experience in the process.

Researchers from Texas State University found that students who frequently used greener spaces were able to apply what they learned in college better than those who did not.

For COVID-19 safety measures, the garden should have various plots that are reasonably spaced to avoid crowding. Those