It’s on the news and possibly in your body, it’s always unpleasant and can definitely ruin your week.

Yes, it’s the flu; that most miserable of winter traditions which strikes each year on most college campuses leaving many students painfully out of commission.

This year, most unfortunately, a popular strain that is going around was not included in the vaccine so many who believe they are safe and protected are actually still vulnerable and are getting sick unexpectedly. As a corollary, the people who knew they didn’t have time to be sick and tried to avoid it are getting sick and aren’t being shy about spreading their flu wealth around as they continue with business as usual.

Imagine this: you are working hard to stay healthy, eating right, taking vitamins, sleeping well, the whole bit. You wash your hands regularly and take every precaution to avoid illness during this scholastically important season.

Then, innocently sitting in your assigned seat in class (your seat is assigned because, as we all know, we need to be numbered and counted like children or possibly cattle since we aren’t old enough to be trusted to go to class even though we can be trusted to vote and fight in wars) you look around and notice you are surrounded by influenza-riddled shells of your classmates who can’t help but infect and defile all with which they come into contact, including you.

These walking-ill are everywhere, especially on campus, they drag themselves around on buses and in classes sniffling and coughing — never bothering to cover their mouths. They are efficient and merciless flu-spreading machines.

Of course, you have to pity them. I know I do. No one likes to be sick and it’s even worse when you know that you are just getting behind in you work. I understand that these poor pitiful creatures are trying to keep up with their work, but it never ceases to amaze me that these flu-spreaders genuinely seem to feel that they should be complimented or congratulated by their victims for all their efforts to spread their illness by coming to class.

How often have you heard, during a conversation with comparisons of tough weeks, some sick person rasping, “Whatever, I have a fever, cough and I can hardly stand and I’m still here!”

This is the point in the conversation where I usually have too much pity to say what I feel really needs to be said which is, “News Flash, sick person: No one wants you in class. We are sorry you are ill but we all want you to stay in bed, take your medicine and please, for all our sakes, keep your germs to yourself.”

So please, if you are sick, stay home and take care of yourself. You can get better faster if you rest, and running yourself ragged will only drag out your sickness. Take care and get well soon!

Tell Kate how you are avoiding the flu at [email protected]