@Midwest67 - I think so; thank you for the idea! I will also check for flammability etc. of course.
I said outside. We are not required to wear them outside here. I’m also not seeing many (if any) instances where people are within 6’ of each other outside. Wearing masks inside businesses is required, and I have seen probably 95% compliance. Actually probably closer to 99%, but there are a few here and there who don’t cover their nose or otherwise wear them incorrectly, which is a shame.
There are some local high schoolers making 3D printed face shields at home, and giving them to HCPs who evidently love them.
A lab at Northwestern U is also making 3D printed shields…seems like many universities would be able to do that.
Would turning on the hood cause it to suck away any possibly-virus-laden droplets exhaled by users under the hood?
I’m not sure. Mostly their hands and the chemistry stuff is in the hood, not their exhalations. However, I’ve considered getting a fan for the other side of the room and leaving the hood on, as a way to have more frequent air turnover in general. The downside to that is the vulnerability of the kids in the path of that airflow.
Notre Dame opening 8/10 - ending at Thanksgiving for semester…
It sounds like this start in early/mid August and finish by Thanksgiving calendar is becoming a thing. Notre Dame, U of SC, Rice have said that’s their intended plan.
The Bowdoin president said last week that Fall format was high on their list too, and also mentioned many college presidents and administrators are talking with each other, which I think is also good.
Kids are going to go back. I think it’s pretty clear now. I wonder what would have to happen for those well-laid plans to change.
MIT held two ‘mini’ town halls with students to discuss scenarios under consideration.
"Vice Chancellor Ian Waitz said during the graduate town hall that the curricular scenarios being considered include a full return to campus with socially-distanced or remote teaching, “a 50/50 scenario [for undergraduates] where half of them are on campus for half of the first semester,” “a three semester model,” “a delayed start,” or “fully online.”
…
For fall scenarios in which only a portion of undergraduates return, Fernandez said that “the decision of who’s on campus is going to be driven by the risk balanced by the educational value.”
Waitz said that student input would be important in determining who should be on campus during a half-semester or trimester, citing the “irreplaceable” experience of an on-campus first semester for first-year students and the possibility for upperclassmen to have a “jumpstart on summer employment” if not on campus during the later semesters."
Lots more info at the link:
https://thetech.com/2020/05/18/mini-town-halls-fall-scenarios
We’re required to wear masks outside IF there are a lot of people around. So downtown, for example.
If you’re just out taking a walk and can easily avoid the next person by 6’, it’s not required – but most are wearing them anyway. Kids on bikes wear them, many runners, etc.
I hope kids are back on campus in fall but many of these colleges who said they are coming back either have a small undergrad population (e.g. Rice) or are situated in small, relatively isolated towns (e.g. South Bend (IN); Bethlehem ¶ or Columbia (SC).
What will happen to the NYUs, UCLAs, and UT-Austins? Do they follow suit too?
I also wonder if they are allowing students back on campus in the fall, I could see NCAA D1 football also being played and televised (of course without fans in attendance). Maybe a modified schedule and limited bowl games?
@socaldad2002 Time will tell, I guess. I would think July 1 is the latest they could all decide. I really think it’s each college for itself at this point. Every situation is different - size, state, and location within the state will make for a range of decisions when it comes to the details.
I believe Barnard and Columbia have started making plans to send kids back. NYC is likely the trickiest nut to crack.
https://alert.barnard.edu/news/looking-forward-2020-21-academic-year-0
California’s governor said today that some pro sports could begin without spectators as early as June. He might be talking about golf and tennis and not basketball or football but it sounds as if there might be some move to bringing sports back.
Well maybe I have a suggestion for the last paragraph. You can easily go over the problem with having a dual monitor to your desk top or attach an external monitor to your laptop. Show the student the monitor as you work on the problem together. They can send you the paper ahead of time. Or use something like zoom and screen share to do the same
Just an idea. We are all going to have to change a bit to make things work out.
A lot of schools (even high schools) are making them on 3D printers.
Catching up on the 160+ posts from today has been a roller coaster of questionable behavior and bickering. CC social unrest is the new norm. Get outside people, go for a walk, even if it’s raining.
Thanks to homerdog for the information.
If Barnard / Columbia can open their campuses in NYC with one of those 3 options, my son’s small private music conservatory in urban setting (not in NYC) can open a campus. Especially option-3 (with some hybrid) would work well for in-person ensemble / program trainings that “required” to graduate on time.
When all of music conservatories switched to full online classes in middle of this spring semester, all “required” ensemble rehearsals / performances were cancelled. So, those music performance major students simply lost at 1/3 of classes / trainings in spring semester. A semester course wasn’t fully replaced to online. Would this situation continue in fall with better online teaching with more preparation? I just can’t see much of future improvement in nation of music performance. If students’ health is in great risk, we must understand why campuses can not open because music schools are full of droplets!!! No facial masks can function during performance classes / rehearsals but professors / conductors / faculty can wear a face mask plus an optional face shield. A 100+ orchestra and large vocal ensembles may need to be postponed entirely for awhile.
I just hope that his small school can afford to lose 1/3-1/2 revenue from room & board in 2020-2021 to go with a plan like option-3 (hybrid with only part of students take in-person classes and live on campus at the time to reduce on-campus density). Then, there wouldn’t be many students / families decide on a gap year or ask for a tuition discount. Revenue from tuition is much bigger than from room & board at private schools. We need to focus on educations with students / faculty / community health and safety. Other residential experiences will come back little by little.
@fretfulmother, try Kim Duncan at ACS for guidance on making HS labs safe. k_duncan@acs.org . I would not expect wonders but they may be working on the issue.
@JeJeJe - I agree with your concerns about music programs! One of my son’s was supposed to do a Voice program this summer. I can’t imagine it will proceed, and then multiply that by all the kids in all kinds of similar programs. (At least Voice and Wind/Brass)