College Partying Could Lead to Remote Learning at the University of New Hampshire

Students and parents, listen up. You don’t want to ruin it for everyone.

The University of New Hampshire has worked tirelessly on a plan to get students back on campus and have some semblance of the college experience this year.

And there's been an indication that parties at college could wind up leading the school to have to do remote learning.

One of the warnings the director of Psychological and Counseling Services at UNH, Shari Robinson, told seacoastonline.com: “The students will decide whether we get to stay together this semester, and that’s going to really be based 100% on their behaviors.”

The students will be well informed as to the new rules on coming back to campus.

Seacoastonline.com reports that part of the “student informed consent agreement” states “I understand that my decision to return to on-campus programming is voluntary.  I understand that UNH cannot guarantee my health or immunity from infection.”

That type of language has parents worried about liability.

Provost Wayne Jones said in a Zoom discussion, a UNH Virtual Town Hall last Thursday, per the article, that “We had no interest in creating a liability waiver. That is not what this document is.”

What is clear is that UNH is rolling out all the stops on trying to keep students and faculty safe, according to seacoastonline.com, steps like testing, emergency housing in case some students need to quarantine, masks (they have over 1 million in stock on campus), reminders about socially distancing, and more.

There is one thing that could sink it all. One thing that to most college students is part of the college experience. That would be getting to have house parties or get-togethers with some drinking.

It is a sobering time we live in.  Literally and figuratively.

There is no way to be socially distanced while drunk. Drunk people just can’t do it.

Let’s have a successful back to college year at UNH and show the country how it's done.

No one wants to go back to 100% online. Good luck, kids.