FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Ithaca798891]

Folks, it's not about your kid, or even how many college kids will die, in general.  It's about required nationwide sacrifices (and frankly, the ones you are moaning about, while significant, are nothing compared to the sacrifices those on the margins of our society will surely be forced to make) in order to arrest a pandemic before it reaches critical mass and totally overwhelms our medical system within about a month.  Just take five minutes to read about what is happening to Italy RIGHT NOW.  The United States will looks like that, most likely, absent dramatic, widespread, collective action.  And if we do, it will be an absolute disaster. 

Look at the death rates for folks over 70 or so who catch this disease, they are truly frightening.  I realize those people aren't "your kids" but I promise that someone deeply cares about them. 

Now, it's of course possible that some of these measures may have gone to far.  But I'd much rather be wrong in the direction of caution than wrong in the direction of insufficient action.

Well put

[PolarCat]

Folks, it's not about your kid, or even how many college kids will die, in general.  It's about required nationwide sacrifices (and frankly, the ones you are moaning about, while significant, are nothing compared to the sacrifices those on the margins of our society will surely be forced to make) in order to arrest a pandemic before it reaches critical mass and totally overwhelms our medical system within about a month.  Just take five minutes to read about what is happening to Italy RIGHT NOW.  The United States will looks like that, most likely, absent dramatic, widespread, collective action.  And if we do, it will be an absolute disaster. 

Look at the death rates for folks over 70 or so who catch this disease, they are truly frightening.  I realize those people aren't "your kids" but I promise that someone deeply cares about them. 

Now, it's of course possible that some of these measures may have gone to far.  But I'd much rather be wrong in the direction of caution than wrong in the direction of insufficient action.

Can we strip the hysteria from this and look at the facts as we know them?

First, regarding the role of the college student as vector:  Has any significant portion of the under-25 population tested positive, either here or in Europe (where the WHO kits are available), even as an asymtomatic carrier of the virus?  I keep reading about executives in their 40's and nursing home residents, but I cannot recall one single article about a college-age individual having the virus and transmitting it.  We are talking about COLLEGES and UNIVERSITIES here; in theory they should be looking for facts and science, not fanning the flames of hysteria and panic.

Second, I agree that the population most affected is the Boomer generation.  In fact, I heard a statistic yesterday that the average age of Italians who had died from the disease was 81.  But is there one single college, anywhere, who has ordered the removal of Boomers from campus?  Food service workers, custodians, buildings and grounds, Administration, etc.?  My very strong impression is that the the most vulnerable sector of the typical college population is NOT subject to social distancing.  Rather, the HEALTHIEST cohort of the communities, those with the LOWEST reported susceptibility to COVID-19, are the ones being sent home.  Someone please explain to me how that makes sense?

"I'd much rather be wrong in the direction of caution ...."  I realize there are a lot of folks who have never studied logic or rhetoric, and most Americans have no clue what a syllogism is.  But the logical extension of this argument is: "It is better to shout "FIRE!" in a crowded theater than to sit idly by, watching the movie."   Ever heard the expression, "First, do no harm"?  Or the mantra, "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate"?  The admins are exiling their charges from the relatively safe confines of a college community, populated primarily by a demographic which appears to just shrug off the virus, to the world at large where the virus may be raging.  Where is the sense in that?  Is this really about student welfare?  Or the need for whimpering admins to CYA?

We've talked a lot here over the years about "the bubble" at most NESCAC schools.  Why are we evicting students from the relative safety of the bubble?  Having employees work from home makes all the sense in the world, as does restricting visits to nursing homes and cancelling public gatherings like Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade.  But removing the least-endangered segment of society from the place where they are the safest?  Insanity.

[nescac1]

Social distancing only works if it involves nearly everyone, or at least as many people as possible, not just old people.  It's as simple as that.  The faster the disease breeds among any population (and yes, shared dorm bathrooms, bedrooms and dining facilities are certainly very high-risk breeding grounds) the worse it is for everyone.  Look at what South Korea and China did and Italy is now doing.  There was no "college student exception" put into place for good reason. We as a county are now weeks behind where we should be in responding to this disease.  It's sad that individual institutions like colleges, municipalities, and sports leagues have to act on their own, in ad hoc fashion, in the absence of any cohesive federal strategy, even two months into this crisis.  But that is where we are at. 

Hysteria? Seriously man?  Is the state of Washington acting hysterically?  The NBA?  The entire governments of Denmark (cancelled all college everywhere), Spain, South Korea, etc?  Perhaps all of these smart, serious people (not to mention the public health professionals advocating for these measures) are simply falling victim to hysteria. Maybe you, Polar Cat, better understand the true risks than any of them.  But I'm betting on the experts, personally.  Listen, it sucks massively for these college students to lose their last semester.  But unless things change, quickly, regarding how seriously we are collectively taking this outbreak, the outlook may be a heck of a lot worse than missed classes, for everyone.  And absent any real leadership from the top, I'm glad at least some of our institutions are being proactive. 

[amh63]

Just received an e-mail from a classmate in Annapolis, Md wrt the topic at hand.  There is an article in the Wash. Post...I'm not an reader of the paper since my teens... written by two sophomores at Amherst.  They talk about the seniors on campus doing thesis related work, others in dance, music that cannot be done online, etc. 
Today there is an WSJ article about a student returning from Spring break in Europe that tested positive for Wuhan C19...or whatever the preferred label. 
Yes, the position to take wrt to colleges....is not an easy one or imho not just a legal one.  I side with PolarCat....colleges students should not be put in harms way returning home to areas with outbreaks of the virus via means that virus contact are high.  Heck, read where a parent that has children at UMass-Amherst and UMD-College Park that does NOT want them back home where the risk is much higher for contact.
My two-bit comment on the matter.

[Hawk196]

How are they going to compensate the parents? Like someone said, I'm not paying $70K for my kid to take Arizona state online courses

[FredWilliamson]

https://www.goerie.com/news/20200207/ex-allegheny-football-player-files-sexual-harassment-suit?template=ampart&__twitter_impression=true
An interesting article not about the spread of the virus...

[amh63]

For those that miss sports chatter, now that sports have been "postponed" or going to reruns, etc....there is a board below that deals with other things.  I have ignored it for a period.  It deals with spotting people, tags, etc. identifying colleges....like a bobcat sweatshirt in N.C. or an Ithaca College sticker in Mississippi.

[letsgo!]

Anyone know why the season seems to be starting a week later this year coming?
https://nescac.com/sports/fball/2020-21/schedule

[SpringSt7]

My best guess would be that it might just be the way the Saturdays fall at the start of the school year? This past season kicked off on September 14th, which was the second Saturday of the fall, while next year's opening day is on the 19th, which will be the 3rd Saturday. Unless there is a wider league change that we are yet to hear about, I would wager it has something to do with Labor Day/schools starting at a wider range of dates, so they just pushed things back a smidge to make it uniform across the board.

[nescac1]

I just hope that the season starts at all!  Fingers crossed ...

[amh63]

Now that sports has become a "rerun" watch, there is a bit of Nescac news.  The conference ADs' have put restrictions on recruiting.  Go to the Nescac website.

[gridiron]

Hearing there is a movement afoot to expand roster sizes from 75 to 85. Curious if anyone is hearing same.

[lumbercat]

That would surprise me but I was also surprised by the move to the 9 game schedule. With the extra game it might make sense to expand the rosters.

I know the Whale was huge supporter of expanded roster size back in his early days at Wesleyan. He was openly predicting that it would happen but it never did.

[gridiron]

I was told that at the conclusion of last season the coaches all voted to expand irosters to 85.  Not sure what the process is though for final approval.

[amh63]

Recent posts wrt to larger rosters brought a smile to my face.  Remember when Amherst and Williams both had rosters greater than 90 dressed players.  Then the move to 75 roster limits....led by the Williams Admission Dean that "transferred" to the same position at Amherst....sort of like when a Williams Prez moved to Amherst to help start "The College on the Hill".
In any case, the rich gets richer imho.  It is expensive to field a larger squad.  Basically, I do not understand the need to go to a larger roster.  In my era, there were freshmen teams that played each other....as well as soccer, baseball teams playing against the Ivy schools and D1 state schools, etc.  Much like the squash teams today.
In any case, interested in hearing from posters on the rational behind going to larger squads.