I don’t usually like posting about something that I have written for the DP — afterall, what more could I have to say than what I’ve already said in the article. But today I’m going to make an exception.

In today’s 34th Street Magazine — the weekly arts & culture magazine inserted inside the DP — I wrote an in-depth feature on STIs at Penn. Much of what I wrote about, however, applies to college campuses around the country. So I thought it might be of interest to TRC readers.

“According to the CDC, many diseases whose prevalence had been decreasing for some time have been on the rise in the past few years. These diseases include chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. And these increases are especially important among the college-age population. According to the Guttmacher Institute, almost half of all new STI cases every year occur among 15-24 year olds.”

Check out the whole article here at 34st.com.

So you made it through fall semester without catching the swine flu. Congratulations. You’re feeling pretty good about yourself, because that means you’re safe, right?

Not so fast. Just when we thought pig fever was going the way of avian flu, officials are warning against a potential “third wave,” especially at college, which are gearing up for the traditional mono, meningitis, and seasonal-flu cases, which peak shortly after students return from winter break. Public-health officials have even bought airtime during bowl games this week, just to make sure you get the memo.

So if you didn’t visit the flu-shot clinic this fall (which, if it was anything like Penn’s, was ridiculously efficient), make sure you stop in to student health in the days after you get back. Come on. If Barack can get the shot, you can too.

Lincoln University — located in Philadelphia — is now requiring overweight students to take a fitness course in order to graduate. Both students and legal experts are skeptical to say the least.

“We know we’re in the midst of an obesity epidemic,” James L. DeBoy, chairman of Lincoln’s department of health, physical education and recreation, told USA Today. “We have an obligation to address this head on, knowing full well there’s going to be some fallout.”

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It’s probably not great news for the rest of The Daily Pennsylvanian staff (who have been subjected to my hacking and sneezing all night), but it is interesting: The Chronicle is reporting that 92 percent of colleges, representing 3.3 million students, have reported new flu cases this week. Like I said, it’s not the best news, especially when coupled with the flu-shot shortages being reported across the country. Since the flu is on most students’ minds right now, the statistics are not entirely surprising but they definitely make your eyebrows go up.

H1N1 case numbers at colleges and universities are on the rise. This week’s report from the American College Health Association has the total number of cases at 21,130.

Pennsylvania still stands as the state with highest number of cases. As a Penn student, I’m always happy to hear that Pennsylvania is ahead of the curve.

The NCAA has recommended that the traditional pre- and post-game handshakes at volleyball matches be suspended to prevent the spread of H1N1.

Personally, I’m a little skeptical — it sounds a little senseless to me. They are, afterall, all touching the same ball throughout the game, sharing locker rooms, etc… Shaking hands can’t possibly put them at a much higher risk. But, of course, I’m no expert.

These people, however are:

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At the end of last week, 13,434 students had been diagnosed with swine flu at 253 colleges and universities, according to survey from the American College Health Association. Of the 253 institutions surveyed, 210 had new cases last week alone, when a total of 6,432 new cases were reported.  Last week saw a new case rate of 21.5 per 10,000, up 21 percent from the week before. And, tragically, H1N1 killed a student at Cornell on Friday, making the severity of the increased case number really hit home.

The state with the most new cases reported last week was Pennsylvania — where 573 cases were reported. Penn State has taken the biggest hit in the state so far, with 60 new cases reported on Monday alone.

Don’t forget to wash your hands and stay up to date on your school’s plan for dealing with H1N1.