School Closings

[NovaHound]

Appreciate the comments from QuakerSouth and RollDodge. I’m getting better information here on LaxPower than the other news sites I visit and mostly posted by folks like me - those parents/fans within the lacrosse community. These are uncertain times. The health and well being of our children come first and there are sacrifices that will be made. Many will agree and many will disagree. Doesn’t matter. This is the environment we have right now. All I’m asking is for my friends and family is to stay informed and there are some bright people posting here so I’m able to share some of the information I gather. I hope none of you mind….

As for Loyola, "beginning with the start of classes on Wednesday, March 18, Loyola faculty will teach their classes online or electronically. The plan is to resume classes on Wednesday, April 1.” "All residence halls are closing on Friday, March 13, at noon. Students are to return home as soon as possible. I recognize that some of our residential students will not be able to travel home. Those students will need to request permission to stay. The office of student life will send an email on the heels of this message to let students know how to request permission. We will ensure that limited services will continue to be provided to the students who stay on campus. Students who are leaving, please remember to take all medications, medical devices, important documents, anything you would need to continue distance-learning from home.”

Sending the students home was a decision made with much discernment by the President and his staff. I’m confident they made a good decision. Here’s what was said about athletics:

Campus Events and Athletics
Large-scale events (those with 50 or more attendees) will be canceled until April 1; some of those will be rescheduled, and information on those will be forthcoming.
Outdoor athletic events will continue, but with restrictions on the number of fans who will be in attendance.
From what I am reading other schools are following similar procedures around the country.

I’m only going to write what I know and not throw in conjecture on how this will impact other sports like basketball and baseball, track, etc…. I hope good measures are adopted to protect the community at large.

I hope the season will continue, especially for the seniors who have put in so much time and effort into their school and sports.

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

Has their been any talk about canceling the NCAA basketball tournament? Call me jaded, but to this point the focus is on eliminating the spring sports season, which is (for the most part) non-revenue generating.

I agree with the decisions universities are making nationwide, if for no other reason than they’re informed decision makers, and I’m just a random dude stating his opinion on a sports forum.

I personally think March Madness will be cancelled only when hell freezes over.

At most, they play in empty arenas, and I don’t see that happening.

[dp68]

I agree. Disney parks remain open, and MLB isn’t closing its doors to fans during spring training. In the meantime, I need to figure out how to get my daughter home to NY from college in Florida. It’s one thing for universities to order students to leave campus. It’s quite another to find available flights after 50000 students suddenly flood the airport.

[CU88]

Has their been any talk about canceling the NCAA basketball tournament? Call me jaded, but to this point the focus is on eliminating the spring sports season, which is (for the most part) non-revenue generating.

I agree with the decisions universities are making nationwide, if for no other reason than they’re informed decision makers, and I’m just a random dude stating his opinion on a sports forum.

I personally think March Madness will be cancelled only when hell freezes over.

At most, they play in empty arenas, and I don’t see that happening.

I had a nephew get great seats for the UNC game last night.

[wgdsr]

a lot is changing in real time.
jaded as i am about the nc$$, what you may be looking at is an end, or at least suspension, of the spring season for sports the day after the basketball finals.

[dp68]

As for Loyola, "beginning with the start of classes on Wednesday, March 18, Loyola faculty will teach their classes online or electronically. The plan is to resume classes on Wednesday, April 1.”

Nova, do you know the significance of the April 1 return? I’m trying to understand the rationale. Can’t imagine the disease won’t have spread by then. Asking students to leave campus without warning, then return 19 days later seems a bit much to ask, especially if the student is traveling a long distance.

[faircornell]

As for Loyola, "beginning with the start of classes on Wednesday, March 18, Loyola faculty will teach their classes online or electronically. The plan is to resume classes on Wednesday, April 1.”

Nova, do you know the significance of the April 1 return? I’m trying to understand the rationale. Can’t imagine the disease won’t have spread by then. Asking students to leave campus without warning, then return 19 days later seems a bit much to ask, especially if the student is traveling a long distance.

It's possible that such approximate restart dates will be pushed out to later dates.

[ICGrad]

As for Loyola, "beginning with the start of classes on Wednesday, March 18, Loyola faculty will teach their classes online or electronically. The plan is to resume classes on Wednesday, April 1.”

Nova, do you know the significance of the April 1 return? I’m trying to understand the rationale. Can’t imagine the disease won’t have spread by then. Asking students to leave campus without warning, then return 19 days later seems a bit much to ask, especially if the student is traveling a long distance.

It's possible that such approximate restart dates will be pushed out to later dates.

Agreed. My guess is that these dates will be re-evaluated as the crises waxes or wanes.

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

a lot is changing in real time.
jaded as i am about the nc$$, what you may be looking at is an end, or at least suspension, of the spring season for sports the day after the basketball finals.

Exactly, which would further show the total hypocrisy of the NC$$.

Parsing through the JHU message from its president last night, there was a lot of language about staff, and university non-essential functions and gatherings.

But, just reading through that, I had in the back in mind, what about the unpaid student-athlete labor force?

You get to stay in order to line the NC$$’s pockets.

I wouldn’t be surprised to eventually learn of some pretty damning emails within the halls of the NC$$ on how to kick this bucket to Tuesday, 7 April.

[QuakerSouth]

Peter,

Always respectful of your thoughtful posts.

My point is we need to be careful. Be measured. Understand that our comments influence the way others view this issue. Before one contributes with a post, I am suggesting that we all just think a little longer about what we are posting and how that fits into the big picture.

[nyclaxfan]

I echo previous comments that this chat board has been very useful during unpredictable virus news. Universities sending kids home show that the future is online learning, in my view. Maybe there are some insurance reasons too. I think the markets are predicting public school closings (below the university level). That will be a major strain on parents. For New York City, we have a mayor that previously shutdown the city for a snow storm that never happened.

[HooDat]

The problem is no one knows what information to trust.

In a vacuum of information risk adverse large organizations are opting to avoid the potential for lawsuits and liabilities.

How many hourly workers are going to get completely rear-ended on this? ... countless.

Whatever is decided, I bet the fat cats get theirs. I am pretty sure ESPN et all is already on the hook for the march Madness broadcast rights. I wonder how many hours of legal time has been spent pouring over the definition of "acts of god" and the impact on the enforceability of the contracts....?

[MDlaxfan76]

Peter,

Always respectful of your thoughtful posts.

My point is we need to be careful. Be measured. Understand that our comments influence the way others view this issue. Before one contributes with a post, I am suggesting that we all just think a little longer about what we are posting and how that fits into the big picture.

Always a good thing. +1

All the more so perhaps when the topic is truly serious.

I'd echo Nova's point that these threads have actually been very good at culling information from various sources, quite informative.

[Farfromgeneva]

If schools are closing down do students get any type of refund? Certainly begs the question of the necessity of all the physical plant that’s been built up on college campuses and a chunk of OpEx as even employee expense includes an awful lot of non instructional dollars.

[Can Opener]

If schools are closing down do students get any type of refund? Certainly begs the question of the necessity of all the physical plant that’s been built up on college campuses and a chunk of OpEx as even employee expense includes an awful lot of non instructional dollars.

I have been wondering the same thing. This is not the program that parents agreed to pay for, although there is probably a force majeure or "health & safety" clause in the tuition contract. The logistics would be a nightmare, but in a fair world, students would be given the option of completing this semester online or adding an extra on-campus semester. This creates an opportunity for some stacked lacrosse teams if seniors decide to do an internship next fall and return for spring semester. Almost like a mini gap year. There's nothing wrong with entering the work force a little more seasoned with a little less student debt load.

[DA/PU]

Seeing rumors princeton and harvard cancelling seasons. What a shame. PU will now lose our 5-0 start and probably best player to a 5th year elsewhere and never get this early success back. Trying to keep perspective, but this is a mess. We finally put some wins together and have opportunity to let Sowers shine and it's completely sabotaged. Very sad if true. If other Ivies continue to play and get easier path to tourney I will be even more bummed. Big picture, hopefully virus is contained, but hard for me not to be crestfallen over this.

[Badlands]

Seeing rumors princeton and harvard cancelling seasons. What a shame. PU will now lose our 5-0 start and probably best player to a 5th year elsewhere and never get this early success back. Trying to keep perspective, but this is a mess. We finally put some wins together and have opportunity to let Sowers shine and it's completely sabotaged. Very sad if true. If other Ivies continue to play and get easier path to tourney I will be even more bummed. Big picture, hopefully virus is contained, but hard for me not to be crestfallen over this.

That is extremely disturbing. Will wait for confirmation.

[CU77]

Schools are not closing, they're switching to online instruction, which is going to be done haphazardly over various platforms. No one is ready for this. It's going to be a big mess.

IMO, it will prove that online instruction largely doesn't work. Which we already know, but which some refuse to see.

When the crisis finally ends, whenever that is, everyone (students, faculty) are going to be tremendously relieved to get back to the old ways that actually do work.

[CU77]

Seeing rumors princeton and harvard cancelling seasons.

Inevitable that all Ivies will do so, and I think it's very likely that all other schools will soon follow.

Very hard to say it's too dangerous to put 40 kids in a classroom, but it's OK to put 40 kids in a locker room, and on a field with close physical contact.

[reLAX]

This is very true. I don’t see any other sport or venue reacting in what appears to be in such a panic. I’d think Disney parks might be an atmosphere more conducive to spreading the virus.

Spring sports are outside. Have the schools go online. And reassess. The kids who live off campus may not elect to go home. And limit the number of spectators if you must.
I feel awful for the seniors in all sports, for a lot of them this was their last hurrah with a team of brothers and sisters.

The seniors in the basketball tournament must be so upset not being able to compete. It’s sad all around.

I agree. Disney parks remain open, and MLB isn’t closing its doors to fans during spring training. In the meantime, I need to figure out how to get my daughter home to NY from college in Florida. It’s one thing for universities to order students to leave campus. It’s quite another to find available flights after 50000 students suddenly flood the airport.