The First of Many?

[Great White Buffalo]

There WILL be outbreaks at universities, no doubt. And I agree most young people only get mildly sick (like a flu), if they have any symptoms at all. And therein lies the SERIOUS issue. Not only infecting the "vulnerable"....but ALL people.....including, professors, university staff, visitors, and of course everyone living in the college town. All schools from pre-k to universities are cesspools. They are the biggest reason we have terrible flu seasons, as well as other infectious outbreaks.

And I believe you are making a mistake thinking young people don't get seriously ill or die. They DO. Just not at a high rate. How many college students are obese....have diabetes....have asthma....etc?

I dont think you are being hard headed or even an old geezer.....it's just difficult to grasp the reality unless you are personally affected or dealing with it daily.

Heck, initially, I thought this virus was nothing but a political tool and was much less dangerous than the flu. I was made a fool, real quick.

That was me too, just shows what I don't know.

[GoBuffsGo]

https://triblive.com/sports/college-...-state-system/

The three football schools in the Cal State system may play football this season after all.

[Sec10-A-14]

Maybe I'm just being hard headed old geezer, but I'm just not concerned with breakouts at a college. Spreading from there to vulnerable people? Definitely. But college aged kids basically have zero issues with covid. I'm more concerned with their health issues from a wild Friday night lol

And when they split for break to visit Grandma & Grandpa, Yikes!

[Sec10-A-14]

[QUOTE=LSC Fan;n507443]

We had Atari and Commodore 64's. Don't make fun of us.

What's an ATARI ? I went to school in the 60's. Cord phones and no cable TV local stations only. Lucky they had a sound system in the basketball gym and not using a megaphone. But hey we supported our sport teams. :)

[Techster88]

[QUOTE=LSC Fan;n507465]

Ha. Actually my college days kind of coincided with the first Nintendos. Anyone up for a game of Tecmo Bowl?

[ASUPops]

Maybe I'm just being hard headed old geezer, but I'm just not concerned with breakouts at a college. Spreading from there to vulnerable people? Definitely. But college aged kids basically have zero issues with covid. I'm more concerned with their health issues from a wild Friday night lol

There WILL be outbreaks at universities, no doubt. And I agree most young people only get mildly sick (like a flu), if they have any symptoms at all. And therein lies the SERIOUS issue. Not only infecting the "vulnerable"....but ALL people.....including, professors, university staff, visitors, and of course everyone living in the college town. All schools from pre-k to universities are cesspools. They are the biggest reason we have terrible flu seasons, as well as other infectious outbreaks.

And I believe you are making a mistake thinking young people don't get seriously ill or die. They DO. Just not at a high rate. How many college students are obese....have diabetes....have asthma....etc?

I dont think you are being hard headed or even an old geezer.....it's just difficult to grasp the reality unless you are personally affected or dealing with it daily.

Heck, initially, I thought this virus was nothing but a political tool and was much less dangerous than the flu. I was made a fool, real quick.

[LionFan]

Maybe I'm just being hard headed old geezer, but I'm just not concerned with breakouts at a college. Spreading from there to vulnerable people? Definitely. But college aged kids basically have zero issues with covid. I'm more concerned with their health issues from a wild Friday night lol

[ASUPops]

I agree if classess are going to all virtual classes it'd be a waste of money. But I'm not seeing anything about that at all in terms of all classes going that route. There may be more than normal, but it seems like social distancing is how most of them we are familiar with are dealing with it. I'm definitely not hearing anyone just throwing the year away and working at chilis to save money. That's a risky move, most kids that go that route never end up going.

My kiddo is in the middle of discussions with a couple of fraternities at Oklahoma State, in two weeks he will be headed there for rush, sign in mid July and move in date is August 10, no talks of virtual classes.

In the link I posted about the tamc ad talking about fall football, he thinks we could social distance 6k people in memorial. Some are trying to make things happen, some are looking for ways out.

You are correct, institutes ARE talking up normality. Each and every one of them.

All its gonna take is one school having a major outbreak and all hell is gonna break loose.

I predict schools will do a rinse & repeat of these past few months AGAIN. Within the next 12 months.

Hope I am 100% wrong!

And mark my words, in a few years....maybe 5 or so....it will be unrecognizable. The future of "education" will be modernized.

[ASUPops]

Started on the Atari 2600 and still playing regularly on the PS4.

Ahhhhhhh....the 2600!!!! All night football tournaments!!

[ASUPops]

[QUOTE=LSC Fan;n507465]

Ha. Actually my college days kind of coincided with the first Nintendos. Anyone up for a game of Tecmo Bowl?

OMG the HOURS I spent on Tecmo football was ridiculous. 707

[ASUPops]

You are correct students are requesting refunds as they should, but the schools are not turning around and doing it at rapid speed either nor are they returning all of the fees they collected. UTSA sent notices they will be refunding some of the parking fees to students as well as some room and board for on campus resident students. Parking fees have been one of the biggest extortion of money on college campuses for years, so isn't that sweet of them to give some of it back to the students?

I feel for everyone who is having a negative impact thanks to the Covid thing. But in our whole economic sphere, college education will be the last to feel any real pain at least when it comes to massive layoffs and restructuring. They've always had the good ol' Fed and State governments step in with giving students more money in the form of grants and loans in order to continue that gravy train and cutting or consolidating operations or jobs was secondary. Sure some would make symbolic cuts and then scream this is the end of our school, but Uncle Sammy usually softened the blow. However this time might be different if the students don't show up. The schools which have died over the history of higher ed in this country almost always met their demise thanks to declining enrollment and if declines start at 10% and then multiply from there, then yes Houston you will have a problem. The other thing that was starting to catch on before this thing hit was some college aged kids going straight to trade schools instead of a traditional four year because many of the trades are significantly lacking skill workers. And you can thank a whole two or three decades of pushing kids to go the four year route instead of the trade route for this. Generation X (my generation) was the biggest beneficiary if you will of this thinking because we came of age while four year schools and other in the education establishment were trying to make amends for discrimination of the past and the best way to do this was to open the doors to everyone and open the checkbooks too in the form of scholarships and grants which pretty much shut out the trades. On top of this, in some areas counselors were reluctant to recommend trades to students because he or she might be accused of discrimination because for the fact of the matter back in the day like post 70's, some kids were discouraged to go four years because of stereotypes and discrimination. But now we have baby boomers and those on the edge of the baby boom generation retiring from these trade jobs and because Gen X was encouraged to go to service type jobs (IE non dirty Jobs), The millennials and whatever the current generation is called can and are picking up the slack albeit more are needed.

My oldest graduated from high school in 2016 and while my wife and I were sitting in the auditorium at his Senior awards night ceremony, a number of kids came on stage to pick up their Welders Certs from the local Community College for which they earned while finishing their Senior year. The kids were ALREADY working and the day they graduated from high school, many of them transitioned straight from part time to full time and started earning up to 60K on company time at some of the local refineries and pipe yards . On top of this, many find work off company time and easily earn another 10, 20 to 30k or more at least when the oil field was hot. I was sitting there thinking where do I sign up as a forty something old goat who was looking at the very real possibility I'd have to be making a job/industry transition which indeed is currently in progress.

Good post and dead on.

Prosperity is DEFINITELY transitioning from white to blue collar. Trades are the way to go. I have a nephew who is pulling in $250k PLUS as a Commercial Diver.
Took him about 2 -3 months of training that cost him roughly $6,500. Started working at 19. Works a couple of days a week. Now he is getting his first fast food franchise (investment), and flipping houses....this is in addition to his diving $$.....and he is only 26. Man.....what a great career path.

Yes Sir, trades are the way to go.

[LionFan]

I agree if classess are going to all virtual classes it'd be a waste of money. But I'm not seeing anything about that at all in terms of all classes going that route. There may be more than normal, but it seems like social distancing is how most of them we are familiar with are dealing with it. I'm definitely not hearing anyone just throwing the year away and working at chilis to save money. That's a risky move, most kids that go that route never end up going.

My kiddo is in the middle of discussions with a couple of fraternities at Oklahoma State, in two weeks he will be headed there for rush, sign in mid July and move in date is August 10, no talks of virtual classes.

In the link I posted about the tamc ad talking about fall football, he thinks we could social distance 6k people in memorial. Some are trying to make things happen, some are looking for ways out.

[Boohaha]

My second born just finished his first year of college. Last fall he decided he wanted to try to signing on with a major city fire department, so he will be waiting to see if he makes it through to the academy which will start next Jan. Of our three, we kind of figured he'd be the kid who would go the military/law enforcement route, so the fire/EMT thing is not too far off. The pay during the academy part of the training is not too bad at all and once he's with the department,. starting salary is 50K plus benefits with almost guaranteed overtime of 20K or more. So in couple of years as 21 year old he could be making 70K plus benefits. Not bad if he wants to rise up the career ladder as well and chooses to retire early when that time comes. I'm ALL FOR IT.

Something to think about, with our sons we are buying them each a bumper pull rv trailer in decent working order. The way we see it it gives them a cheaper place to live, and the freedom to seek a good job without having to be "all in" with a lease etc. The way some trades work moves it could help them keep wlrking till they have enough experience they can hold those more permanent jobs that older experienced guys in the trades tend to hold.

[LSC Fan]

This has been our philosophy with our boys, they don't have to go to college, but they need some skill. Like i told them I supported them and their mother on a job that required 0 college education, but it did take training.

My second born just finished his first year of college. Last fall he decided he wanted to try to signing on with a major city fire department, so he will be waiting to see if he makes it through to the academy which will start next Jan. Of our three, we kind of figured he'd be the kid who would go the military/law enforcement route, so the fire/EMT thing is not too far off. The pay during the academy part of the training is not too bad at all and once he's with the department,. starting salary is 50K plus benefits with almost guaranteed overtime of 20K or more. So in couple of years as 21 year old he could be making 70K plus benefits. Not bad if he wants to rise up the career ladder as well and chooses to retire early when that time comes. I'm ALL FOR IT.

[ASUPops]

The second schools announce an online semester, they'll lose students immediately - and in many cases permanently. If I were a trad student, I'd never pay full price for a semester of Zoom courses. They're just not the same. Especially if I had to take a bunch of "hands-on" courses, science courses with labs and the like. Add in the fee schedule that students are responsible for but can't render services on - and I'd leave school on the spot.

If I were in that situation - I'd consider one of a few options. I'd look to JUCOs for courses, I'd work part-time and study for CLEP tests, or I'd just take an entire gap semester and work full-time to pay down the student loans. If I were a freshman, I would just commit to a full gap year and work or something. No point wasting a year of the experience to sit in my bedroom staring at a computer screen.

BINGO. EXACTLY what is happening.

Great post.