But that depends on your definition of “safely”. The risk of those students dying from COVID-19 is very low (as I mentioned above, for my D potentially less than the chance of her being murdered or dying in a climbing accident).
It would be better to reframe this as how do we limit spread. Because telling students that they won’t be “safe” is not an accurate statement for most of them and therefore is likely to be ignored.
Young adults have accurately assessed that they are safe from the most serious consequences of this virus, and that other adults at far higher risk, (like their parents or anyone else over the age of 40), will be resuming many of their normal activities by fall.
its not just lab courses, but there are theater classes, music classes and so others that do require onsite. This semester at least the college students got 1/2 a semester in person to build and start.
As far as no colleges until a vaccine that basically means that even the winter semester would also be cancelled and there is not guarantee that a vaccine would even work. I think with this virus as bad as it is, it would be worse if kids and young adults were also dying from it. (yes there has been a handful, but no more than what that age group might die from suicide, accidents, etc). I understand protecting the vulnerable. . I think being home with parents makes the risk much greater in some cases as many as asymptomatic.(except for those who are also vulnerable to pre-exiting conditions) Also keep in mind many upper classman have apartments they are renting and regardless online or not, will likely be living together.
And everyone can chastise me. I have allowed my D to see her best friend. Both families have agreed and by each seeing each other once a week it had kept sanity from both sides. Neither family is taking other risks, and wears masks in stores , etc. IF either got it, they would know by whom. It goes back to contact tracing. My D also reports that those who have stayed in their college towns in their apartments aree also hanging out with each other. I doubt we will ever get down to zero cases going forward, so we just have to think that by fall there will be treatments that work , and that those who are vulnerable keep themselves safe.
@MaineLonghorn Is your objection to the hiking itself, the driving (if they were in the same car), or the not telling you? I’m confused.
@evergreen, thanks for the perspective. I figured logistically athletes could be housed on campus with little trouble, but couldn’t understand how they could train. What I didn’t consider is that there will probably be testing capacity in the fall that will allow for training to take place. I wonder, however, if there would be backlash from having athletes return before the rest of the student body. I guess a school’s willingness to deal with any backlash would correlate to the importance of the revenue the sport generates
@xyz123a yeah I can’t imagine athletes going back and not other kids. People would be pretty angry about that. I don’t even think colleges should let anyone back unless all can go. I’ve seen suggestions where seniors go back but others don’t. No way. Everyone is paying so schools can’t decide who is more worthy to go back to live in dorms or go to class.
The likely consequence is that the economy will stay down (because enough people still fear the virus and will curtail their economic activity like going to restaurants, travel, etc. even without any government health orders) while the virus spreads more (because enough people will be risk takers). I.e. the worst of both worlds.
@ucbalumnus I have to disagree with you again there. I know many people still fear it know, but in two months I bet most won’t care and will be willing to take any risk to get out of their houses. People can’t take this much longer.
@homerdog I agree with you on the backlash thing and I don’t think they will, but Amherst did acknowledge the possibility in their town hall (though they were hopeful they wouldn’t have to do this) that they may have to let only some students back but not others. Also, they heavily implied they would not be reducing tuition in the event of an online semester, so I think charging the same tuition to kids let back on campus as kids being forced to stay at home would cause even more backlash.
It is pretty obvious that:
Both my kids are still at school. One is in his apartment by himself and my daughter lives with one other person. Their core group is in a house just down the block. Like 5 kids. A few go on social distance walks. There is a river and some just go walking around there. They get together but not all at one house. Few here and there. They have done a great job of washing surfaces, hands, etc. We sent her face masks but in reality have not been out much.
They are treating it like an extended family and it seems that they are all taking it more seriously then I thought they would. They are seniors and pretty mature but their virtual graduation is coming up. Hard not to take pictures with those on campus and I am sure they want to hug goodbye… Just have to keep reminding her of the current state of affairs… And take a zinc tablet…
Well, I did say I was a pessimist.
But then again, in February I couldn’t imagine that in late April I would be confined to the house for going on six weeks, that sports would be off, and that all restaurants, bars and schools would be closed.
The risk to young people in general is indeed low. But these young people will be taught by older people, and older people will also be cleaning the hallways, serving the food, providing security, and coaching the sports.
We know how to limit spread: social distancing. I think administrators at all campuses will be giving this a considerable amount of thought at the moment.
Agree, but with the exception of the choice of the adverb; there is no ‘worst’, it’s the only ‘world’ possible. If a vaccine was say, 6 months out, and we had a high probability of the vaccine being effective, people could suck it up. But a vaccine is nowhere close. (And for that matter, a therapeutic may be still way off.) Could be one year or multiple years. Cannot tell people that they can’t work to feed their family.
Many retired seniors will “stay down” and limit exposure, as they can; the health issue will be with the working folks who have co-morbidities and are called back to work.
Not school related, but hs jr D’s 1.5 year relationship came to an end. This shelter in place has been very hard on her boyfriend. Not so much for introverted D. She was fine with few texting now and then, but he was not, it really highlighted that their needs and personality are too different.
Covid 19 shined spotlight things that has been on D’s mind for a while now.
Honestly, I’m having an easier time with my 17 & 19yo kids than with my 78yo mother. We haven’t forbid our kids from doing things, just discussed risks and they’ve made their own good decisions. (It helps that D20’s bf lives a few states away.)
I live over 1,000 miles away from my mom. She cares for her very high risk 88yo husband, in a state with a very low case count. They have a stay-at-home order, but of course she has to go shopping for food. That worries me. But then yesterday, she told me she went to my sister’s house to see her great grandchildren — one of whom was visiting from New Orleans where he lives in a group home with several other families (long story), and the other whose dad works on the COVID floor in a hospital. I just didn’t know how to react.
I have to say I have made some exceptions I wouldn’t have made but need to keep my very social 21 year old’s sanity. We have linked with his gf’s family, who has an immunocompromised son, who keep very isolated so they can do their studies together. They have done this since the beginning of their freshman year. This increases both of their productivity and sense of normalcy. He stayed there at the beginning of the quarantine but as it dragged on he wanted to come home so she came too. She had to return to get her belongings from school (or they were going to throw them out). Hopefully she will return here to finish off the semester. Neither family has an issue with this because both kids (pre-med and pre-vet) are over this but very careful.
As for on-line. With a kid starting vet school in the fall I don’t want my vet having an on-line education entirely. I can see some lectures being hybrid but anatomy and other labs need to be in person, clinics need to be in person. I don’t want my vet saying in 4 years “I’ll be glad to spay your dog, I saw it on-line several times”. Many programs like these need the in-person classes and a way needs to be found to train these future doctors, nurses, veterinarians, artists ( including all performing arts), architects, scientists and others I’m forgetting safely for the professors and the students.
Oh and I’m sure not getting involved in helping him with his on-line immunology, cell biology or animal nutrition classes! He would go crazy if I tried!
Here’s the problem. You could unknowingly infect your neighbors by carrying the virus from yourself to the neighbors via the cupcake and/or it’s wrapper. These neighbors may even take the cupcake back to their house and infect other members of their household. This false sense of security by a simple and “thoughtful” act could be potentially dangerous. Were you wearing a mask and gloves when making these cupcakes (i.e. using strict hygiene guidelines more in line with a takeout restaurant?)
These are some of the real issues when we relax the social distancing requirements.
@socaldad2002 Coronavirus isn’t spread through consumption. The problem is when you breathe it in.
^ The virus does die over time as it disintegrates from drying out (faster or slower depending on the surface and humidity).
I would use gloves to take the cupcakes and leave them somewhere for a day isolated from the rest of home before eating them.
Just an aside. Augmented /mixed reality is being taught at many schools now for these subjects. This technology needs to ramp up to address these issues now.