Two hundred USC students have contracted norovirus, a gastrointestinal affliction, which causes violent vomiting and is, apparently, extraordinarily contagious.

But the situation hints at other problems in college society, namely cleanliness among college students, and the lack thereof, has allowed this virus to spread so rampantly.

Trojans are the sworn enemies of Bruins, but we are still all college students – and thus, susceptible to the same virus.

Not washing your hands, or even sharing shot glasses, can create a cesspool of germs and grossness that can lead to more serious problems. Sure, people get that refraining from washing one’s hands is super-disgusting, (although some people still skip this ablution sometimes). But since drinking is a major pastime, sharing shot glasses is by the by at many a party. And it’s a viable way to contract viruses like our poor neighbors across the way.

Solution? Maybe Dixie cups? Just be careful since a Dixie cup is a little more than a shot, (I learned the hard way).

But more importantly, it's out of respect for peers that we all should be more careful about our hygiene, especially with the season of colds, the flu, and now GI viruses.