Harvard closing for rest of semester

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Force move-out of dorms by Sunday, that is insane, in light of the circumstances (or lack thereof). There is no reason not to allow more time, like by the end of spring break.

Dear Harvard: just because you are among the first colleges to do this doesn't make it an example of leadership.

You can't figure out how to move out by Sunday?

Kids have more stuff then they used to and decorated dorms.

It's Wednesday, go to Home Depot at your home, get some boxes, rent a van and drive to Mass.

It's not that complicated.

When you are 2000 miles from Boston, you are not driving to Mass. That is the point. Large numbers of students do not live in driving distance.

Kid catches a flight home. Kid stacks his "stuff" outside by dumpster. Locals will recycle. I'm sure locals have already started driving around the dorms.

Not the PP to whom you're responding and not a parent of a Harvard student, but...

Not all students have useless stuff or mere extras they can just toss out. You're ridiculous. And wasteful.

My DC's dorm room has DC's clothing (which we'd have to replace if it were all tossed; it's all that fits right now), books (still needed for this semester even if classes go virtual), parts of class projects that are under way. Do you think students all have, what?, skis and cases of beer and gaming systems filling dorm rooms? "Kid catches a flight home" and dumps books needed for class and and almost every stitch of clothes, coat, shoes? What world do you live in that you assume all college students' families live lives of wasteful luxury?

Nobody said dump the clothes... but he does not need the decorations from the room. 2 suitcases and 1 backpack should be fine.

2 suitcases and backpack will get the clothes home. It will not get home blankets, towels, laundry baskets, mattress pad, shower caddy, wastebasket, etc... Ditching that stuff is super wasteful.

(My kid attends a different school not far from Harvard. So far, not closed. Hopefully any move to online classes will not involve actually moving out. Fortunately plane tickets are cheap right now, so traveling home domestically is ok, but the logistics of suddenly, fully moving out seem rather unnecessary.)

If they close - gather some friends and rent a storage unit. This is not that hard!

(What were you going to do in May?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have major concerns with this. I went to Amherst — one of the schools shuttering it’s on campus operations — and I had classmates who were homeless, disowned by their families for being gay, refugees of war, first-gen, the primary earners in their families, and otherwise lived very precarious lives. If their dorms closed down as is happening here, they would have had literally no where to go. And there were way more than you’d think. The DCUM posters (and anyone else) who think everyone has a safe home and supportive family to return to, reliable internet access, food to eat, etc. are stunningly naive.

And Amherst is letting kids stay who need to. "We understand that for a limited number of students, going to or staying at a location away from campus is not possible. For that reason, the Office of Student Affairs has created a petition process for students who believe they must remain on campus."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Young people are minimally at risk from this virus. Why are colleges so aggressive about measures compared to other institutions like K-12 schools and workplaces? No snark intended. An honest question.

Professors.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but if classes are online, profs are not at risk.

[Anonymous]

U of Maryland and Grinnell are also sending students home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have major concerns with this. I went to Amherst — one of the schools shuttering it’s on campus operations — and I had classmates who were homeless, disowned by their families for being gay, refugees of war, first-gen, the primary earners in their families, and otherwise lived very precarious lives. If their dorms closed down as is happening here, they would have had literally no where to go. And there were way more than you’d think. The DCUM posters (and anyone else) who think everyone has a safe home and supportive family to return to, reliable internet access, food to eat, etc. are stunningly naive.

And Amherst is letting kids stay who need to. "We understand that for a limited number of students, going to or staying at a location away from campus is not possible. For that reason, the Office of Student Affairs has created a petition process for students who believe they must remain on campus."

Same goes for Harvard

[Anonymous]

Compared to other colleges merely moving to online temporarily, the question boils down to the reason for closing campus all the way through the end of the semester, 10 weeks. Time will tell which was the better approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Force move-out of dorms by Sunday, that is insane, in light of the circumstances (or lack thereof). There is no reason not to allow more time, like by the end of spring break.

Dear Harvard: just because you are among the first colleges to do this doesn't make it an example of leadership.

You can't figure out how to move out by Sunday?

Kids have more stuff then they used to and decorated dorms.

It's Wednesday, go to Home Depot at your home, get some boxes, rent a van and drive to Mass.

It's not that complicated.

When you are 2000 miles from Boston, you are not driving to Mass. That is the point. Large numbers of students do not live in driving distance.

Kid catches a flight home. Kid stacks his "stuff" outside by dumpster. Locals will recycle. I'm sure locals have already started driving around the dorms.

Not the PP to whom you're responding and not a parent of a Harvard student, but...

Not all students have useless stuff or mere extras they can just toss out. You're ridiculous. And wasteful.

My DC's dorm room has DC's clothing (which we'd have to replace if it were all tossed; it's all that fits right now), books (still needed for this semester even if classes go virtual), parts of class projects that are under way. Do you think students all have, what?, skis and cases of beer and gaming systems filling dorm rooms? "Kid catches a flight home" and dumps books needed for class and and almost every stitch of clothes, coat, shoes? What world do you live in that you assume all college students' families live lives of wasteful luxury?

Nobody said dump the clothes... but he does not need the decorations from the room. 2 suitcases and 1 backpack should be fine.

2 suitcases and backpack will get the clothes home. It will not get home blankets, towels, laundry baskets, mattress pad, shower caddy, wastebasket, etc... Ditching that stuff is super wasteful.

(My kid attends a different school not far from Harvard. So far, not closed. Hopefully any move to online classes will not involve actually moving out. Fortunately plane tickets are cheap right now, so traveling home domestically is ok, but the logistics of suddenly, fully moving out seem rather unnecessary.)

If they close - gather some friends and rent a storage unit. This is not that hard!

(What were you going to do in May?)

DP. You're pretty unaware, PP. Some colleges are in places where there are very few storage businesses. "Just rent a storage unit" sounds so simple, until it's not. My DD's college is in a fairly large town but there aren't storage firms lining the streets. Maybe two. And there are three colleges in the area. So no, not everyone can just find a vacant storage unit or a friend who already has one with some space left.

Since this thread is getting testy, full disclosure, the college shutdowns won't affect our kid in terms of storage and/or dumping stuff because we'll go there and pick her and her stuff up if needed though it's six hours to get there. We can manage it and do it several times a year anyway. But I just cringe at ignorant posters like PP who blithely assume that it's no issue at all to find a storage unit, or to abandon things on site, or to get home with just a suitcase or two because most of your possessions are just "decorations." So many assumptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's crazy. I'm actually really surprised that Harvard made this decision instead of just closing through spring break and seeing how things play out, like other schools. My DH teaches at a similar school and it will be ok with online discussion and assignments, but it is not the same. College is so much more than getting assignments, completing them and turning them in. I feel bad for the kids, but I guess everyone's lives are getting disrupted.

Its not going to be like this for 4 years so dont worry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:U of Maryland and Grinnell are also sending students home.

Link re: UMD? Article just now online from DC's Channel 9 days UMD said it's preparing so classes could be taught online if needed but article was clear that UMD isn't going all online. Yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:U of Maryland and Grinnell are also sending students home.

Jeff deleted my thread but yes. UMD is also closing for at least 2 weeks after spring break

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/university-system-of-maryland-schools-to-prepare-for-remote-instruction-following-spring-break/31351840?fbclid=IwAR3fkXmwJiPOcWYNgT51h2MjIIJjgSJcgPYVG_thtnKPqKr_za90a5HG_Tg

Gov. Hogan said it in his conference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Force move-out of dorms by Sunday, that is insane, in light of the circumstances (or lack thereof). There is no reason not to allow more time, like by the end of spring break.

Dear Harvard: just because you are among the first colleges to do this doesn't make it an example of leadership.

You can't figure out how to move out by Sunday?

Kids have more stuff then they used to and decorated dorms.

It's Wednesday, go to Home Depot at your home, get some boxes, rent a van and drive to Mass.

It's not that complicated.

When you are 2000 miles from Boston, you are not driving to Mass. That is the point. Large numbers of students do not live in driving distance.

Kid catches a flight home. Kid stacks his "stuff" outside by dumpster. Locals will recycle. I'm sure locals have already started driving around the dorms.

Not the PP to whom you're responding and not a parent of a Harvard student, but...

Not all students have useless stuff or mere extras they can just toss out. You're ridiculous. And wasteful.

My DC's dorm room has DC's clothing (which we'd have to replace if it were all tossed; it's all that fits right now), books (still needed for this semester even if classes go virtual), parts of class projects that are under way. Do you think students all have, what?, skis and cases of beer and gaming systems filling dorm rooms? "Kid catches a flight home" and dumps books needed for class and and almost every stitch of clothes, coat, shoes? What world do you live in that you assume all college students' families live lives of wasteful luxury?

Nobody said dump the clothes... but he does not need the decorations from the room. 2 suitcases and 1 backpack should be fine.

2 suitcases and backpack will get the clothes home. It will not get home blankets, towels, laundry baskets, mattress pad, shower caddy, wastebasket, etc... Ditching that stuff is super wasteful.

(My kid attends a different school not far from Harvard. So far, not closed. Hopefully any move to online classes will not involve actually moving out. Fortunately plane tickets are cheap right now, so traveling home domestically is ok, but the logistics of suddenly, fully moving out seem rather unnecessary.)

If they close - gather some friends and rent a storage unit. This is not that hard!

(What were you going to do in May?)

DP. You're pretty unaware, PP. Some colleges are in places where there are very few storage businesses. "Just rent a storage unit" sounds so simple, until it's not. My DD's college is in a fairly large town but there aren't storage firms lining the streets. Maybe two. And there are three colleges in the area. So no, not everyone can just find a vacant storage unit or a friend who already has one with some space left.

Since this thread is getting testy, full disclosure, the college shutdowns won't affect our kid in terms of storage and/or dumping stuff because we'll go there and pick her and her stuff up if needed though it's six hours to get there. We can manage it and do it several times a year anyway. But I just cringe at ignorant posters like PP who blithely assume that it's no issue at all to find a storage unit, or to abandon things on site, or to get home with just a suitcase or two because most of your possessions are just "decorations." So many assumptions.

Yes, lots of people have yo do hard things when there is a pandemic. This is extremely low down on the scale of hardships that covid is causing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U of Maryland and Grinnell are also sending students home.

Link re: UMD? Article just now online from DC's Channel 9 days UMD said it's preparing so classes could be taught online if needed but article was clear that UMD isn't going all online. Yet.

A couple of links for you:

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/university-system-of-maryland-schools-to-prepare-for-remote-instruction-following-spring-break/31351840?fbclid=IwAR3fkXmwJiPOcWYNgT51h2MjIIJjgSJcgPYVG_thtnKPqKr_za90a5HG_Tg

and at the 5 min mark

https://www.facebook.com/fox5dc/videos/815357268963383/?notif_id=1583860384488344¬if_t=live_video_explicit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Force move-out of dorms by Sunday, that is insane, in light of the circumstances (or lack thereof). There is no reason not to allow more time, like by the end of spring break.

Dear Harvard: just because you are among the first colleges to do this doesn't make it an example of leadership.

You can't figure out how to move out by Sunday?

Kids have more stuff then they used to and decorated dorms.

It's Wednesday, go to Home Depot at your home, get some boxes, rent a van and drive to Mass.

It's not that complicated.

When you are 2000 miles from Boston, you are not driving to Mass. That is the point. Large numbers of students do not live in driving distance.

Kid catches a flight home. Kid stacks his "stuff" outside by dumpster. Locals will recycle. I'm sure locals have already started driving around the dorms.

Not the PP to whom you're responding and not a parent of a Harvard student, but...

Not all students have useless stuff or mere extras they can just toss out. You're ridiculous. And wasteful.

My DC's dorm room has DC's clothing (which we'd have to replace if it were all tossed; it's all that fits right now), books (still needed for this semester even if classes go virtual), parts of class projects that are under way. Do you think students all have, what?, skis and cases of beer and gaming systems filling dorm rooms? "Kid catches a flight home" and dumps books needed for class and and almost every stitch of clothes, coat, shoes? What world do you live in that you assume all college students' families live lives of wasteful luxury?

Nobody said dump the clothes... but he does not need the decorations from the room. 2 suitcases and 1 backpack should be fine.

2 suitcases and backpack will get the clothes home. It will not get home blankets, towels, laundry baskets, mattress pad, shower caddy, wastebasket, etc... Ditching that stuff is super wasteful.

(My kid attends a different school not far from Harvard. So far, not closed. Hopefully any move to online classes will not involve actually moving out. Fortunately plane tickets are cheap right now, so traveling home domestically is ok, but the logistics of suddenly, fully moving out seem rather unnecessary.)

If they close - gather some friends and rent a storage unit. This is not that hard!

(What were you going to do in May?)

DP. You're pretty unaware, PP. Some colleges are in places where there are very few storage businesses. "Just rent a storage unit" sounds so simple, until it's not. My DD's college is in a fairly large town but there aren't storage firms lining the streets. Maybe two. And there are three colleges in the area. So no, not everyone can just find a vacant storage unit or a friend who already has one with some space left.

Since this thread is getting testy, full disclosure, the college shutdowns won't affect our kid in terms of storage and/or dumping stuff because we'll go there and pick her and her stuff up if needed though it's six hours to get there. We can manage it and do it several times a year anyway. But I just cringe at ignorant posters like PP who blithely assume that it's no issue at all to find a storage unit, or to abandon things on site, or to get home with just a suitcase or two because most of your possessions are just "decorations." So many assumptions.

This thread is about Harvard not some college in the middle of nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's crazy. I'm actually really surprised that Harvard made this decision instead of just closing through spring break and seeing how things play out, like other schools. My DH teaches at a similar school and it will be ok with online discussion and assignments, but it is not the same. College is so much more than getting assignments, completing them and turning them in. I feel bad for the kids, but I guess everyone's lives are getting disrupted.

Its not going to be like this for 4 years so dont worry.

It's just for a month or two or maybe a semester. It's not the end of the world.