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Pennsylvania State University orders student groups to disband
A US college outdoors club is being disbanded because its activities, which include hiking, running and backpacking, are deemed too risky.
Pennsylvania State University officials said the group will be reconstituted to focus more on safety.
The 98-year-old Outing Club is one of three that will be disbanded from next semester: the caving and scuba clubs have also been deemed unsafe.
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Pennsylvania State University Disbands "Outing Club" Due to Safety Concerns
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Life is to you a dashing and bold adventure.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Friday April 27 2018, @12:12AM (4 children)
What the hell has left wing politics with the uni liability?
Left wing, right wing, they taste the same when grilled by lawyers: beyond well-done, heck, beyond burnt to a crisp, well into the biochar territory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 27 2018, @11:32AM (3 children)
Except the modern right would simply force the club to take out liability insurance. It wasn't always like this, in our lifetimes the left was about individual and civil liberties in the face of an authoritarian establishment right. The modern left have become illiberal authoritarians, looking to undermine personal responsibility at every juncture.
There are risks associated with every field of human endeavour, even sitting at a desk job. [webmd.com] You cannot eliminate all the risks, you can trust young people will learn to minimize risk and take personal responsibility. Skills which will serve people well in adult life; Preparedness, safety and quick-fire lateral thinking when you do inevitably find yourself in trouble. Studies of environmental factors on IQ show us that such skills must be learned and are in-demand primary skills for success in the modern workplace.
You could easily dismiss my comment as a cheap partisan snipe if you're not familiar with the books [wiley.com] and research. [nih.gov]
TL;DR - I see this as symptomatic of an underlying problem with left wing attitudes towards education, the difference between moulding individuals and encouraging them to think and take responsibility for themselves.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Friday April 27 2018, @02:15PM (2 children)
Except that if you bothered to read TFA you'd see that part of the problem was consumption of alcohol during the student activities, which implies not enough supervision by staff to make sure that didn't happen.
Liability insurances generally don't cover gross negligence. As in, "The university was actively aware that drinking was being allowed at these activities and their faculty/staff sponsors did nothing to curtail this, therefore this was wanton negligence. Therefore the university can pay out the settlement directly."
Hiking, sure. Hiking and drinking on your own: stupid but in most places legal. Hiking and drinking in an event sanctioned by the organization.... yeah, like that should be allowed to happen.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 27 2018, @02:41PM (1 child)
Except I was doing this stuff and drinking alcohol at 13 -- and two years later I was regularly drinking with my school teachers. Different time and different place but the core principle of responsibility, maturity and trust remain.
Let's not forget why the drinking age is 21 in most states, [fee.org]
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Friday April 27 2018, @07:20PM
Which only tangentially answers the point that the university would be directly responsible for any liability and injuries that occurred during the school-sanctioned events. And doesn't address at all that you can have 99 responsible, mature, and trustworthy individuals doing things responsibly. It only takes one to cause a multi-million dollar payout that insurance won't cover.
And yes, different time and different place for me too. This isn't about individuals; this is about what risk is appropriate for a public university to take.
And I'm fine with the 21 age limit, but I'm getting to be an old fart now. [cbsnews.com]
This sig for rent.