Christina Paxson's letter to the Times described a classic case of being between a rock and a hard place. The president of Brown University, she describes the rock quite efficiently: "The basic business model for most colleges and universities is simple — tuition comes due twice a year... remaining closed in the fall means losing as much as half of our revenue. This loss, only a part of which might be recouped through online courses, would be catastrophic." The hard place is figuring out how to open the university during a pandemic. Her answer is a mixture of regular testing, an app that tracks movements, and segregation facilities for those who test positive. It's hard to imagine even such measures working in an environment of shared accommodation, common eating facilities, and densely packed classrooms. She even says "Traditional aspects of collegiate life - athletic competitions, concerts and yes, parties - may occur." Hard to believe.
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