FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARСH 26, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 15
Making Sense of the Census
The Count
Begins
By Julie Menin, Director of NYC Census
2020.
During these trying times we are in,
we want to share one bit of good news,
readers! Thanks to you and your fellow
New Yorkers, New York City is already
making great strides in the 2020 Census.
After being available for just one
week, 15.1% of NYC households have
already responded to the 2020 Census.
These are good starting numbers, but
let’s take a moment to appreciate why
this is so significant.
In 2010, after one week, just 6% of New
Yorkers had responded to the census by
this point, compared to the national average
of 16% at the time. Now in 2020, as
of March 23, the national average is 21%,
and NYC is at 15.1%. That means we are
closing the gap between New York City
and the national average.
That alone is incredibly significant.
But we have to remember that this is
even more important than ever because
of the unprecedented challenges we’ve
faced in the 2020 Census: the fear, misinformation,
and disinformation stemming
from the protracted, multi-year
battle surrounding the citizenship question;
a deep and widespread distrust of
the federal government; the census being
primarily available online for the
first time; and now, New York City is one
of the national epicenters of the battle
against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now more than ever, to keep each
other safe and healthy, it’s never been
more important for New Yorkers to selfrespond
HELP WANTED
MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST
Part time or Full Time Experienced
Bilingual English/Spanish
Call 347-808-8324
or Sent Resumed
Through our Website
WWW.ZAMBITOHEARTCENTER.COM
to the census, as more than 15%
of us have already done. And luckily, it’s
never been easier, since you can fill it out
in just five minutes online or by phone.
So if you haven’t filled out the census
yet, fill it out now at my2020census.gov
or by calling 844-330-2020. And if you
have already done it, take a moment to
pat yourself on the back for being a part
of this historic effort — then tell your
friends, family, and neighbors to do the
same!
“Making Sense of the Census” is a
weekly column from Julie Menin, Director
of NYC Census 2020. Every week we
will be publishing pieces from Julie and
guest authors laying out the facts and
answering tough questions about this
year’s census. Fill out the census now at
my2020census.gov.
HIGHER ED TODAY
In times of crisis, institutions like
CUNY that are integral to the life of New
York and its future have an especially
important role to play.
CUNY’s responsibility in these extraordinary
times is both to protect
the safety of our community members
and to ensure that all of our students,
regardless of their circumstances, are
able to continue their education. But we
are also called to step up, to put the country’s
premier urban public university at
the service of the state and city we call
home.
I have been moved by the resilience,
fortitude and innovation that have been
on display across the university in the
face of this unprecedented health emergency.
CUNY’s 275,000 students and
nearly 50,000 faculty and staff have been
at their best.
In a five-day recess, CUNY accomplished
the Herculean task of transitioning
to distance learning most classes
across 25 campuses and five boroughs.
By the time classes resumed, on March
19, up to 95 percent of CUNY’s 50,000
course sections had moved to distance
learning instruction, and 95 percent of
its nearly 50,000 faculty and staff to working
remotely. Today, those numbers are
closer to 100 percent. My most sincere
thanks to all the faculty and staff who
keep the University going while facing
disruption, fatigue and anxiety in their
personal lives.
Our efforts are also aimed at doing
our part to aid the widespread campaign
to slow the coronavirus spread and help
those in need.
Just as we made our services available
following Superstorm Sandy and
the 9-11 attacks, CUNY facilities including
cafeterias, gyms and some dorms
are available to the State and City to
increase health care capacity, when
and where needed, in the fight against
COVID-19.
Essential campus services like food
pantries remain open in our campuses
to serve our most in need students. Child
care centers are operating with low demand
but they remain open so they can
be fully activated as part of Governor
Cuomo’s efforts to support the needs of
families of medical first responders.
Responding to the need for personal
protective equipment for frontline workers
and other essential employees, several
of our colleges have combined to
donate N-95 masks, nitrile gloves, shoe
covers, disposable lab coats and bottles
of 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Working with Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center, we have helped
establish a testing site on universityowned
property on Manhattan’s Upper
East Side. The Graduate School of Public
Health and Health Policy is releasing
a weekly survey that provide a datadriven
picture of the pandemic’s effects.
Queensborough Community College is
in discussions to manufacture, through
3D-printing, much-needed equipment
for hospitals through its Advanced Manufacturing
Lab.
As we move forward with the critical
effort to preserve the health and wellbeing
of our city, I am grateful to the professionals
and unsung heroes who have
marshaled their services to ensure that
CUNY remains a stabilizing, reassuring
force.
Our response to this global pandemic
is yet another way that CUNY is going to
bat for all New Yorkers. It is yet another
reminder of why I couldn’t be prouder to
be CUNY’s chancellor.
/my2020census.gov
/WWW.ZAMBITOHEARTCENTER.COM
/WWW.QNS.COM
/my2020census.gov