Posted on 03/30/2020 11:26:55 AM PDT by a little elbow grease
When Harvard told students to leave its dorms for the rest of the spring term earlier in March, most would have expected that they would be empty until the fall. But if some students have their way, the dorms will soon be filled with a new kind of resident.
A petition calling for Harvard to house homeless people in its residential properties has gained serious momentum, having already amassed over 1,000 signatures.
The author of the petition, Masters of Divinity candidate at Harvard’s Divinity School Christopher Diak also told The Harvard Crimson that he thought that because “there will be thousands of vacant dorm rooms on campus” they could be “converted into a homeless shelter, at the very least for the residents of Cambridge.” The Crimson also noted that Diak had told them that he had sent a letter to Harvard’s President, Lawrence S. Bacow.
“This is a rapidly evolving emergency and life may change even more dramatically than we now anticipate, so, coordination between the City and the University will be crucial to our rising to the occasion,” Diak told The Crimson. “Furthermore, we need to understand that life will not go on as usual this semester and act accordingly, clearly and decisively.”
While many praise this effort as a just and compassionate attempt to help the homeless, in the midst of this crisis it may come into conflict with the interests of students. With many universities are forcing students out of dormitories to meet the requirements of social-distancing orders, controversy has arisen over the fairness of these measures. Concerned parties, from students to members of Congress are demanding that universities refund students’ room and board payments for the duration of the quarantine measures.
Harvard has not yet indicated how it will respond to the petition.
(Excerpt) Read more at campusreform.org ...
You have a wonderful sense of humor
I can’t see what could possibly go wrong. I’m sure they thought this all the way through.
they could be “converted into a homeless shelter, at the very least for the residents of Cambridge.
There are no homeless people in Cambridge Mass. They ship them across the river to Boston.
Only if the government makes a hefty donation to the endowment.
When I toured the Cambridge area last year, I really didn’t see homeless. Perhaps they can be imported from California? Lots of unused airline capacity right now.
out in Californication land, the state legislature proposed to turn public college parking lots into homeless tent villages, and to give the tent residents free access to all the campus like gymnasium, fitness center, swim pools, athletic fiends, bathrooms, free nurse, and free food pantry, etc.
it did not pass but it sure could have, given the political complexion of the legislature (most elections out in Calif are now rigged by the D legislature to have two leftist D’s on the ballot and no R candidate for each seat)
there was no explanation or concern apparently that the parking lots are needed for students and college staff...
also the bill provided no funding to support all the extra free services for the tent dwellers
Bodily fluids everywhere. The stench of urine and feces. Diseases on every surface. Burned furniture in every room. Fouled mattresses.
They’d have to burn the buildings to the ground afterwards as they would be uninhabitable.
New Haven went to Yale and asked them to put up healthcare workers and first responders who needed a place to stay—and they refused.
The city then asked the University of New Haven, who reportedly gave a strong ‘yes’ in the initial call.
You got it.
Sounds like a typical day in San Francisco.
Great idea infect the dorms now for fall semester return of students.
I think Harvard would not want their buildings destroyed.
Um, wouldn’t this sort of defeat the purpose?
It’ll be interesting should Harvard turn those empty dorms into homeless shelters.
One fall by a homeless person and some lawyer will attempt to make that homeless person a millionaire.
The lawsuit would be interesting.
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That sounds fair.
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Morning Sunshine says:
“I say, go for it. Then make sure to house the students who signed that petition in the same dorm rooms that had housed the homeless.”
:-)
And that’s before the homeless arrive.
what purpose?
Where do I sign?
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