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Harvard sends three students home for partying

The Crimson reports the three freshmen were ordered to leave their on-campus dorms after hosting a gathering with three other people despite Harvard rules against such things in an age of pandemic. The move means they're still enrolled, but have to take all their classes remotely.

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6 of the 20 or so students involved in the outdoor party on campus last weekend have been given "deferred suspension", i.e., let off with a warning. The other involved students do not face any disciplinary action.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/six-students-given-deferred-suspensions...

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If more colleges and universities in this genera area, as well as throughout the United States, generally, we'd be a hell of a lot better off. Had a mandatory 2-3 month lockdown been implemented on a national basis, as well as getting super-tough on scofflaws of all ages who flout the rules for mask-wearing and social distancing, as well as the rules against having large gatherings and/or parties, especially indoors, rather than leaving it up to the individual state governors to manage things as they saw fit, the United States, as a country, would've been back to normal by now.

Thanks to the criminally irresponsible way in which Donald Trump and his Administration handled it, however, we're in this mess.

I'll also add that college students aren't really kids--they're young adults who are old enough to know better. Since these students are old enough to vote, sign a legal binding contract, marry/buy a house/receive medical treatment without parental consent, serve in the military, be tried for and charged with whatever they were arrested for (if they get arrested) in an adult court of law (as opposed to a juvenile court), and to serve an adult sentence in an adult jail if necessary, they are old enough to know better than to flout specific rules that have been put into place for a legitimate reason: to protect others, as well as themselves, from a super-deadly and super-contagious Covid-19 virus.

I'll also add that by flouting these rules, these students put themselves their friends, their families, and their neighbors, as well as shop owners, etc., at risk. That's why they need to be leaned on so hard.

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Meanwhile, the president of Notre Dame goes to a maskless Republican (super spreader) event in the WH Rose Garden and comes back to campus with COVID-19. Does he not receive some sanction or are such sanctions only for students? The students have asked for his resignation.

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Please just stop with this "had we done this, or we should have done this" stuff. You're wrong.There is no way a complete lock-down could happen, in any way, for 2-3 months.

People would still be going to the grocery store, and to other needed places to survive. There is no way to make every person actually lock down, without incurring a massive amount of deaths in other fashions (but hey, the death doesn't matter to you, as long as it wasn't COVID, right?).

You can blame Trump all you want, and you know very well Obama would be getting blamed too, so it's only fair. Where you should really pass your blame, are to your local governments. Trump doesn't monitor every street, every corner. Your local elected officials do. Plenty of local officials have ignored Trump/Fed gov. guidance during this whole thing, and they get a free pass.

We would all be better off if you paid attention to who is actually responsible for what, instead of clueless outrage.

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While I do think it's a good idea to limit risky gatherings, it rubs me the wrong way how Harvard is calling this a "Community Compact" enforced by a "Community Council". You can throw feel-good groupy words at something, but that doesn't make it collaborative or voluntary. It's still the administration setting the conditions for returning to campus, and the students choosing to take it or leave it.

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the students in question deserved what they got for deliberately flouting the rules for mask-wearing and social distancing, as well as the rule against having large parties and/or other large gatherings of people, especially indoors. Witness the people who died of Covid-19 without having even attended the wedding up in Maine, when people who did attend the wedding in question didn't wear masks or social distance, for instance.

The people who didn't attend the wedding and contracted Covid-19, for example, obviously contracted it through people who did attend, didn't wear masks, and had the Covid-19 virus and were asymptomatic. People who have the Covid-19 virus can be asymptomatic and spread the infection without even knowing it. That's why mask-wearing and social distancing are necessary.

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that's exactly the point dude. there were safety conditions for coming back (conditions that were well known and publicized, based on state guidelines in a medical emergency) and they were required to actively agree in order to be allowed to start their freshman years. they can't pretend they didn't know.

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"Here are the contractual terms, take it or leave it" is pretty much the standard way large businesses interact with their customers. It may not be collaborative, but it is voluntary in that the student is not obligated to enter into the contract on Harvard's terms. Harvard isn't about to individually negotiate contract terms with students any more than Bank of America is going to individually negotiate contract terms with credit card holders.

I agree with you about the smarmy name, though.

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The one community-based aspect is that they expect students to report on each other for breaking the rules.

At least the penalty is just having to leave campus, and they get to continue attending classes online and get a refund of the remaining room and board fee. Normally for breaking a rule at Harvard, you get kicked out, lose credit for the classes in progress, and lose the entire semester's room, board, and tuition fee, a penalty of more than $25,000.

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I wonder how many students actually read what they were being asked to sign?

They signed a contract saying that they would not do x. If they did x then y would happen. They did x. Y happened.

What, exactly, did they expect? This isn't just a formality - this is a pandemic.

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It's unfortunate that an 18 year old's brain is literally not finished developing yet. They haven't finished developing logic and having the ability to understand consequences of their actions. Obviously, some people that age DO get it, but overall, colleges are asking them to do something that they are literally not capable of yet. Which is not an excuse....colleges need to take these precautions and they absolutely 100% should. I just wonder if there's other ways to do this in ways that the students can understand and appreciate.

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124119468

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An 18, 19 or 20 year old is still an adult, nonetheless. An 18-20 year old is old enough to vote, serve in the military, to sign a legal, binding contract, to marry/buy a house/receive medical treatment without parental consent, and, if arrested for whatever, to be tried for, charged with, and tried in an adult court (as opposed to a juvenile court), and to serve an adult jail sentence, in an adult prison, rather than a juvenile one.

Having said all of the above, they're old enough to understand the consequences of their actions and abide by the rules that have been implemented for their own health, welfare and safety, as well as that of others.

Seriously though--this is a pandemic, and it's not just the flu, strep, or the common cold. Covid-19 is a hell of a lot deadlier and more contagious, and people of all ages have not only become severely ill and died from it, but many of those who do survive have ended up with permanent lung, heart and neurological problems.

Frankly, I think the fact that so many people are continually making excuses for these scofflaws is rather sickening--and disgusting, to boot.

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But, they're still learning. Keep in mind, they are just out of high school. It may be the first time away from home on their own. They're going to do stupid things. Man, I know I did.

Many years ago, I instituted a one mulligan rule. I'll give everybody one break - pretty much. Kids like this? Definitely. That's how you learn.

I'm not making excuses for them other than they're still kids trying to figure things out, regardless of their legal status.

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If they're old enough to vote, sign contracts, and serve in the military, and do all kinds of stuff without parental consent, then they're plenty old enough to understand that we're in the middle of a dangerous and deadly pandemic, and to know better than to flout the rules that have been put out their for their own benefits, as well as everybody else's.

A lot of the college students just don't give a damn. That's all.

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Believe me, this pisses me off too. But I have many college-age coworkers, and I have to remind myself often "Their brains aren't done, their brains aren't done." Read the neurology.

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These college students just plain don't care--plain and simple. Sure they're young, but way old enough to know better. If these people really are friends of yours, rather than constantly making the excuse that "their brains aren't done", you'd do well to point out to them that by flouting the rules for mask-wearing, social distancing, and not having large gatherings of people in one place, particularly outdoors, they not only put themselves at risky, but they put their neighbors, friends, and family at risk, as well as people in off-campus communities where they reside.

Moreover, I have no interest in reading the neurology, because what a lot of these college students are doing by flouting the rules is inexcusable..and inconsiderate of others, to boot.

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Moreover, I have no interest in reading the neurology,

Wouldn’t that combination of strongly voiced opinion and lack of curiosity make you kind of a willfully ignorant jackass?

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The age of 18 is old enough to know that certain rules are put into place for their own health, welfare and safety, as well as that of others.

Any person of 18 or older who knowingly violates these rules deserves to suffer the consequences of doing so. These are not ordinary times. We're in the middle of a super-deadly pandemic. If these 18-20 year olds are ld enough to go to college, they're enough to know better, in spite of being young.

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Obviously, some people that age DO get it, but overall, colleges are asking them to do something that they are literally not capable of yet.

If that's true, then the colleges should not be open, and the kids with undeveloped brains should be home with mommy and daddy minding them.

I know it's hard to get the idea across with the President of the United States flouting all expert advice and good sense, but everyone's had enough time and enough information to get it, including 18 year olds. If they don't by now, it really doesn't matter why. They are endangering others by their actions; hence, their actions must cease.

This isn't a game. We have to stop treating it as one right now.

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Thanks. It's agreed--an 18 year old is old enough to get it, and to understand that by refusing to abide by rules that have been put into place for their own protection, health, safety, welfare and well-being of themselves and others, that they're putting everybody, including themselves, their friends, neighbors and families, at risk.

The last sentence on your post also points it out, very succinctly.

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Whether or not they read the contract, I'm sure every student knew a 6-person party in their dorm wasn't allowed.

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Those who violated the rules of mask wearing, social distancing, and against six or more people in one room deserved to suffer the consequences of their willful stupidity.

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