Whither College Towns?

The Seattle Times today ran a story, a very concerning story, about the 117 college students who just tested positive at 15 Greek fraternities weeks after returning to the U of Washington campus near Seattle.   https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/a-covid-19-outbreak-on-uws-greek-row-hints-at-how-hard-it-may-be-to-open-colleges-this-fall/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=mobile-app&utm_campaign=ios

Consider just one part of the story:

College students are especially difficult to rein in because 18- to 24-year-olds are in a phase of life where they’re intensively exploring and defining social-emotional connections with others, said Kira Mauseth, a clinical psychologist and senior instructor at Seattle University. And after living through months of lockdowns and physical distancing, “they’re desperate for connection,” she said.

What’s more, the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is involved in complex decision-making and planning, isn’t fully developed until we reach our mid-20s, Mauseth said. College-age adults tend to be risk-takers, not fully recognizing danger. And they also maintain a belief — as people of any age often do — that the illness will happen to other people, not to them, she said.

Wow!   "Boys will be boys?" How about that point of view? 

To be politically correct (a term that is increasingly suspect in its own right), maybe it should be "boys and girls will be boys and girls"--but note that ALL of the 117 (except 4 not named for gender) are members of fraternaties, ergo = boys.   By contrast, of course, the reputed (and disputed) Tuscaloosa Covid parties (invite known Covid positives and create a pool for the first Negative after the party who tests positive, who wins the "pot") were reportedly fully co-ed affairs.

Now, consider a number of 'college towns' in the US   (city population sans students, Students)

San Luis Obispo; CalPoly     47,500 / 23,000

Santa Barbara (and Goleta and Isla Vista)   UC Santa Barbara    117,000 / 26,500

Corvallis, OR      Oregon State University      58,600 / 32,800
South Hadley, MA    Mt. Holyoke College      17,806 / 2,200
College Station, TX    Texas A & M          93.900 / 69,600
Grinnell, IA      Grinnell College         9,300 / 1,660

And think about it.   Do you want these kids returning from all parts of the world?   What safety measures should be put in place for their return to YOUR TOWN?   And what safety measures once they've arrived?    How do you avoid reputed "Tuscaloosa Covid parties," where the first one to get the virus after the party 'wins the pay-out' -- hard to imagine such craziness, but it's happening.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/07/02/alabama-students-are-having-covid-parties-with-payout-for-the-first-infected/  

But as important, think about how much that town depends on the students for local businesses.  Without them, "Main Street USA" in many of America's 3,000 college towns will clearly suffer.

And then there are the college presidents and administrators, who more likely than not, are dependent upon tuition to cover their costs.   The most recent estimates are that one-third--YES, one of three--colleges will go bankrupt in this crisis.   Don't you want to open your school as quickly as possible?

Forty percent of America's colleges have student bodies that are half international.  Are these students a bigger risk, or a smaller risk than students from the USA? 

And if you're a parent,  how do you feel about sending your nineteen-year-old back to the university?

Big questions!