Dorms are cruise ships on land.
This includes off-campus housing, classrooms, libraries, gyms, and popular eating venues. So many shared spaces & equipment. So little physical privacy. This isn’t news. College kids are infamous for passing strep, mono & std’s like a hot potato.
These same conditions exist in all manner of cluster living: elderly, religious, academic, military, and even those lovely business campuses. The quintessential example currently is the nursing home in Kirkland, WA, but make no mistake, the virus will spread quickly in any cluster living situation. Shared eating, learning, praying, working, and social spaces simply cannot be cleaned as quickly & throughly as needed under the circumstances and often force occupants into another’s personal space (6 feet? 10 feet? how far do respiratory droplets travel anyway? how aerosolized is it? for how long?). Not to mention industrial cleaning supplies are prioritized for healthcare facilities. Don’t take the word “living” literally – or maybe do. If you or someone you know spends time (perhaps working? going to school?) in this type of environment 8+ hours a day, that is living.
It makes sense that universities are sending students home – because they can. The absence of a strong federal guide is disorienting, but in this context, the universities are free to make the tough calls. Some parents are railing about refunds & credits and whining about graduation & postponed opportunities their students “deserve.” On the other hand, parents have increasingly demanded that universities take care of their adult children – well, this is it. Colleges shutting down or moving to remote learning is the smartest, kindest decision. Student Health Services is geared toward birth control and rapid strep & mono tests. The 18-22 crowd it not immune, and “mild” symptoms range from asymptomatic to pneumonia just shy of needing oxygen support. Health Services are not set up for pulmonary support. It’s not only about your college student anyway.
Think of cluster living like mini-cities. This means lots of folks on campus besides your healthy kiddo, including the town that hosts said learning institution long before and after your student’s 4 year stint. Potentially overwhelmed hospitals will have to make heart-breaking decisions about who gets medical intervention. This is Italy right now. France & Spain are close on their heels. I wouldn’t want my kid to be a part of that equation if possible. Placing a value someone else’s life is not a burden anyone wants.
Because that’s the equation: choosing to hang out at the corner or in the village is deciding their social time is more important than any other person they may infect or deprive of a bed if they fall ill enough to need hospital care. This bug is highly contagious. Exposure & physical contact. That’s all it takes. We all are asked to change our habits and curb social behavior temporarily. The timing sucks – it would suck at any time – but it will be temporary, and if we all lean into this, then we won’t have knock-on effects that prolong the need for distancing (or warrant more extreme mandates).
Parents, this is where we step in. Even the most informed, benevolent student enjoys the feeling of immortality shared by young people. This is the beauty of youth – optimism. It’s also frontal lobe immaturity. This is uncomfortable for me to say because I have children & former students in this age range, and they are some of the smartest, kindest, most reasonable people I know. I recognize this cognitive dissonance is rooted in profound disappointment, shock at the speed of this surreal situation, and their powerlessness to out-think or out-will it. They are sacrificing – labs, performances, sports, proms, graduations, debate tournaments. These indeed are losses to mourn, and everyone needs time to process.
At the end of the day, health comes before classes, credits, sporting events, performances, and celebrations. If we all keep focused on community health, those will come. Our young adult children may need a gentle but firm nudge to see clearly & fully and act responsibly. As parents, we need to be strong enough to do just that (most of us are just out of practice). The rationale behind closures is to help people make better decisions. It is extreme. It also takes huge potential clusters off the map.
Being prepared is being kind. There are no perfect decisions with imperfect and fast-changing information, but if you can, bring your college student home & avoid cluster living.
vidamixta 