^ It's hard for the cynical side of me to not agree with that, but let's say that's not the real concern......even then, I'd be surprised if it wasn't one of the non-publicly discussed topics that came up in closed-door or otherwise unofficial discussions.
OK, now that the cynic in me has had its play....
Bruenor wrote:Uhh really ? wow, just wow... wifi, stuffed animals and coloring book for everyone, going outside is too dangerous.
https://reason.com/blog/2018/04/22/penn ... lub-safety" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The student "Outing Club," which has gone backpacking, kayaking, and hiking in state parks over the course of its 98-year-existence, will no longer be allowed to host outdoor events after administrators conducted a risk assessment, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
"The types of activities in which [Penn State Outing Club] engages are above the university's threshold of acceptable risk for recognized student organizations," according to an official announcement.
A key issue for administrators was that the Outing Club frequently visit locations with poor cell phone coverage. This wasn't an issue during the Coolidge administration, but now that cell phones exist, students are apparently expected to remain glued to them at all times.
"Student safety in any activity is our primary focus," Lisa Powers, a Penn State spokeswoman, told The Post-Gazette.
And yet the treasurer of the Outing Club said that he hadn't heard of any injuries sustained on club outings in recent years.
someone is punking me right ?
I don't think that this is necessarily framing the issue in the right way.
I think that in today's litigious society (rather than the article's snarky "
now that cell phones exist, students are apparently expected to remain glued to them at all times" retort - remember, it's not just the students that matter, here, there's also their parents/guardians, who may not share the same enthusiasm for this club as their sons/daughters), the University has to cover its bases, and allowing for students to trek out there into the great unknown in activities that carry significant levels of personal risk *_without_* the ability to summon timely help...I think that it's not unfair for the university to be watching out for its own interests.
That said, I don't see why the university couldn't simply require this particular hobbyist group to secure means of communication suitable to their activities' risk levels and remote locations - for example, there are many devices now on the market which, while pricey, will enable both iPhones and Android phones for satellite communications - or, for that matter, why the club organizers did not consider this type of contingency themselves.
I get it - it is a bigger risk for the university to undertake.
But isn't that at least part of what higher learning is about? Learning to properly assess one's risks, and learning to properly mitigate them?