With many covid rules and restrictions, “draconian” seems more than a bit of an exaggeration. For the vast majority of people, it just isn’t that much of a burden to wear a mask indoors, or to get vaccinated.
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You are correct “draconian” is not unusual and it has been used multiple times.
Two words that have been used less frequently are sarcasm and levity, both of which were my intent. Apparently I missed the mark, sorry.
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C’mon. Really?!? I am assuming we are done defining draconian and/or who said it first.
I am very curious if families will collectively make these decision, if kids will make their own decisions, or if parents will make decisions. Would you all let your kids make their own decisions when it comes to schools that might have looser CV protocols? What would your kids want?
just curious if there are kids out there who really do respect, and want super-strict restrictions; or if it is more family pressure. ? (i have 4 kids; they all have slightly differing thoughts; and honestly age has more to do with it than anything else).
The restrictions last year for my kid in NJ were indeed draconian, and we both would have agreed to a gap year if they were re-implemented. The school kept covid numbers among students to an absolute minimum but watched mental health problems, including hospitalizations, sky rocket. I do not think a University has any more responsibility to its staff than any other employer, public or private.
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I don’t want to turn this into a debate about right/wrong policies, or about whether I prefer tighter or looser CV protocols. It doesn’t matter to me whether one family leaves it up to the student and another family’s decision is in the hands of the parent(s).
What matters to me is that my children are in a situation where I feel they are safe in all ways, where they feel comfortable and where they are able to achieve their academic and personal potential. Which schools fit those parameters for my children may not be the same as the ones you would choose, or there may be some overlap, or they may be exactly the same. But each family has to make those decisions based on the best, most timely information they can gather.
Just as CC families/students scour every bit of data regarding incoming freshmen stats, graduation rates, location, weather, majors, co-ops, distance from airports, greek life, athletics, extra curricular activities, dining options, USNWR/WSJ/Forbes/etc rankings dorms, etc, it is also important for each family to learn how the institution is responding to Covid. Regardless of the actual policy and whether you/I think it’s “right/wrong”, every family should know what that policy is at the schools on their list - and decide if it aligns with their personal preferences.
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As the parent of a kid with two serious health conditions, I favor stricter policies, but if things are looser, it is important for safe options to be available for young people who are vulnerable medically. In fact, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires this.
My kid went to a class in a tent and sat a distance away, which resulted in another student belittling them. In the last few days, there has been a positive case in the class.
My kid has requested a virtual option. We’ll see what happens.
This.
Covid and resulting shutdowns/restrictions have had a devastating effect on the mental health of many young people. This has been repeatedly brushed under the rug since March 2020 in the name of saving lives (both these things are important and deserve separate and equal attention). The suggestion that anyone should just “suck-it-up” is dismissive at best.
It must be hard for OP to see many other colleges where students are also vaccinated and wearing masks but allowed to operate under mostly normal conditions. No restrictions on gatherings or dining out, etc. If OP is willing to do their part (vaccinate & wear masks) then why shouldn’t they seek an environment that rewards this behavior in a less restrictive way? The complaints about the dorms and food are secondary and likely coming from OP’s overall disappointment with the restrictive Brown environment.
The virus isn’t going anywhere. I would be looking closely at whether this is Brown’s operation plan as long as the virus is going to be around - because nothing else affecting Brown’s decision will be changing any time soon (the virus will still be here, there will still be individuals in the community who won’t get vaccinated, there will still be faculty & staff who have people with compromised health issues in their lives). As EconPop said, each student & family has to decide for themselves how restrictive of an environment they want to seek out.
OP will have to decide if a Brown education is worth living with the heavy restrictions. I would hope that the administration is offering some kind of light at the end of a short tunnel but if they aren’t, then OP should feel supported with their decision to move on. Getting into Brown is an amazing accomplishment but not worth 4 years of unhappiness.
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Brown lifted restrictions and OP has moved on as life on campus is largely back to what it was 2 weeks ago. The actions were taken in response to an outbreak and lifted promptly.
For the record Brown paused indoor dinning and imposed the majority of these guidelines for 10 days in response to an outbreak. In doing so they avoided further disruptions. I think this is the very definition of balancing safety and student experience.
The administration was decisive and methodical while maintaining in person learning. They lifted restrictions quickly while ensuring student safety.
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OP’s post was only 5 days ago, and I haven’t seen a more recent post indicating that they have moved on.
I’m not disparaging Brown in any way - it’s up to administration to decide what their restrictions will be and how often they will increase them.
It’s up to students and families to decide whether this is an environment in which they can thrive. If a student is unhappy with the restrictions, even if it’s only for a 10-day period, then those feelings should be validated.
If I had a student with serious health concerns then I would definintely seek out more of a small, controlled environment (assuming I could also afford it).
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Sorry if your prior post seemed to me to suggest that Brown wasn’t communicating, was acting out of sink with peers and was not actively seeking to lift restrictions.
Given the lifting of the restrictions, short timeline, and frequent communications (some of which I provided) that is clearly not the case and what I was seeking to clarify.
What are we arguing about? 
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Why Wesleyan and Vassar are ranked so poorly in USNWR😀
My neighbor’s daugher was at Brown this summer ('24) and they are less than enthused about how their experience is progressing. There were accounts of kids eating 200 consecutive meals alone… In light of Dr. Wolf’s chilling yet eloquent and honest account of not prioritizing “the college experience” I think the suggestion that since Brown lifted the recent restrictions there is no more conversation to be had is premature. Again, I have no personal knowledge o any of these things, but I am thankful for this thread to help me realize I need to do a lot of digging before I send my young adult off to school.
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Wesleyan and Vassar feel Brown’s pain. 
I have 3 kids at different universities, and all 3 were takeout meals in the spring. What I’ve found is that what covid protocols are in place on college campuses are really only known by those who actually attend. Rutgers was the first school to mandate vaccines, you would think that most classes are in person, but they’re not.
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Could you provide specifics or context please.
I visited campus several times over the summer and there were no dining restrictions, Thayer street and Wayland were wide open and active, and the quads had picnic tables with kids at them.
Why or how was a kid eating alone for what amounts to an entire summer?
Not saying Covid reaction shouldn’t be considered, just want to make sure it is fact based.
I think my post was pretty clear in that I was reacting to what the OP (a current student at Brown) was posting about, as well as giving some validity to their feelings. Since they haven’t been back to comment further, there doesn’t appear to be a need to continue on with the thread.
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I have no problem with a family making informed choices about what is best for their kid. But, I also think it’s wishful thinking to believe face mask wearing is going to completely disappear at colleges that can afford to test their kids frequently for COVID.
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I admire all of you who are so wise that you can predict what Covid (or the next pandemic) will look like on campuses a year from now. You should be day-trading instead of posting on CC. A few fatalities among the student body on even the most “your body, your choice” campuses is going to result in restrictions that those colleges are not prepared to execute effectively. ICU doctors in the reddest, lowest vaccination rate states are reporting 21 and 22 year olds in their hospitals on life support.
Easy to criticize.