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If you don’t want to shake hands for the time being and bumping elbows isn’t your thing, there’s another option. After DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus on Wednesday, and following a petition from concerned students, the University of the District of Columbia announced Friday that it would move classes online until early April.
But not before offering some epidemiological advice with a pop-culture spin.
In a memo, the school’s president, Ronald Mason Jr., stated that spring break will be extended through March 17, and that students should not return to campus until April 6, though the university will remain open and all support services will be available. He also recommended another precautionary measure. “If you are concerned about shaking hands in the American tradition of greeting, the Wakanda greeting, arms folded across the chest, is a good alternative,” he wrote, referencing the 2018 film, Black Panther.
Wakanda forever.
Nathan Diller has also written for DCist, Vulture, and Bustle. On Twitter, he’s @nateclaydiller.
