UNT students petition for more virtual learning options amid omicron surge

[Jonnyeagle]

DENTON, Texas - Some University of North Texas students are demanding virtual class options as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
 

At UNT, virtual learning is not an option for all classes and students making requests need approval from the administration.

Meanwhile, two nearby universities – UT Arlington and UT Dallas – began their spring semesters online only.

RELATED: UTA, UTD to start spring semester with virtual learning

UNT’s president said the omicron variant hasn’t impacted campus like previous variants. He also said a virtual option is costly and doesn’t assure overall safety.

"Going remote doesn’t stop students from socializing, going to parties, having the kind of fun college-aged students have," said Neal Smatresk, the president of UNT. 

read more:  https://news.google.com/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZveDRuZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzL3VudC1zdHVkZW50cy1wZXRpdGlvbi1mb3ItbW9yZS12aXJ0dWFsLWxlYXJuaW5nLW9wdGlvbnMtYW1pZC1vbWljcm9uLXN1cmdl0gFsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZm94NG5ld3MuY29tL25ld3MvdW50LXN0dWRlbnRzLXBldGl0aW9uLWZvci1tb3JlLXZpcnR1YWwtbGVhcm5pbmctb3B0aW9ucy1hbWlkLW9taWNyb24tc3VyZ2UuYW1w?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

[TheColonyEagle]

12 hours ago, Jonnyeagle said:

UNT’s president said the omicron variant hasn’t impacted campus like previous variants. He also said a virtual option is costly and doesn’t assure overall safety.

Nice to see the President using some common sense

[MeanGreenPatriot]

We are becoming such a weak, pampered society. Next they will make basic military less intense....wait, already happened.

[Censored by Laurie]

32 minutes ago, MeanGreenPatriot said:

We are becoming such a weak, pampered society. Next they will make basic military less intense....wait, already happened.

your posts do seem a lot weaker compared to the older veteran generation. 

[MeanGreenPatriot]

1 hour ago, Censored by Laurie said:

your posts do seem a lot weaker compared to the older veteran generation. 

I did make an effort to tone it down for the weak. Now, what is your opinion on the article?

[Censored by Laurie]

32 minutes ago, MeanGreenPatriot said:

I did make an effort to tone it down for the weak. Now, what is your opinion on the article?

just so we're clear...you fancy yourself as the "tough" then? 

as to the article...I'd say people's fears and apprehensions have merit nearly three years into a pandemic...and if the university is already offering some courses via virtual learning, I don't think it's unreasonable to be asked to expand those offerings...especially as other local universities are apparently entirely remote. 

all that said, current science is telling us that those who have been responsible in getting their vaccines and boosters are at very low risk from severe Omicron symptoms and that as we continue to progress through the pandemic there will need to be more of an adaptive "living with COVID" type approach to move back toward normalcy. 

today's episode of The Daily actually covered this rather well: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/podcasts/the-daily/omicron-coronavirus-behaviors.html

basically, those who have taken the virus the most serious...the ones with all 3 shots, comfortable with masking...are the one's who should be most active in a normal functioning society, yet are the most hesitant...while you unvaxxed, "masks are tyranny" jerks are out here keeping this virus alive 

[Coffee and TV]

2 hours ago, MeanGreenPatriot said:

We are becoming such a weak, pampered society. Next they will make basic military less intense....wait, already happened.

So weak that my daughter's school opened back up and she caught Covid, only to have an awful ear ache for 10 days while vomiting everything for 48 hours. My fiance is boosted and still can't really get out of bed since Saturday. So glad her school didn't just cower to the "weak" and delay in person learning for 2 whole weeks. 

[Censored by Laurie]

4 minutes ago, Coffee and TV said:

So weak that my daughter's school opened back up and she caught Covid, only to have an awful ear ache for 10 days while vomiting everything for 48 hours. My fiance is boosted and still can't really get out of bed since Saturday. So glad her school didn't just cower to the "weak" and delay in person learning for 2 whole weeks. 

does your daughter even lift, bro? bet she hasn't even served in the military. 

[Coffee and TV]

1 hour ago, Censored by Laurie said:

does your daughter even lift, bro? bet she hasn't even served in the military. 

It's amazing how badly conservatives want the local liberal indoctrination centers to stay open.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Coffee and TV

[UNTLifer]

15 minutes ago, Coffee and TV said:

It's amazing how badly conservatives want the local liberal indoctrination centers to stay open so badly. 

Sorry to hear about your daughter and fiance.  I hope they recover quickly and without any side effects.

You said your fiance was boosted?  Hmmm.  That vaccine and being "responsible" unfortunately didn't work too well.

[UNTLifer]

20 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

does your daughter even lift, bro? bet she hasn't even served in the military. 

He mentions his daughter and boosted fiance are both sick with this virus and that is your response?  Predictable.

Edited January 26, 2022 by UNTLifer

[MeanGreenPatriot]

39 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

just so we're clear...you fancy yourself as the "tough" then? 

 

Don't mistake your weakness as anything other than that. 

[Censored by Laurie]

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

He mentions his daughter and boosted fiance are both sick with this virus and that is your response?  Predictable.

ya...you can save the piety after you decided to work in your anti-science bullshit into some insincere show of concern. 

[Coffee and TV]

3 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

You said your fiance was boosted?  Hmmm.  That vaccine and being "responsible" unfortunately didn't work too well.

Your well wishes are completely hollow with your condescending points about her vaccine status. For the record she has never ran a fever and her oxygen levels are great, she's also tested both positive and negative (but we're pretty sure she has it given all the symptoms and timeline). The booster she received in November is probably keeping her out of the hospital or from having massive bouts of stomach troubles the way my daughter did. I was boosted 6 weeks ago and I am completely asymptomatic if I've caught it, so thank god I made that decision. 

Consider this a formal parting my man, I've tried to interact as adult as possible with the other side but this whole vaccine denial nonsense is the limit. You're blocked from here on out. 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Coach Andy Mac

[Coffee and TV]

3 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

He mentions his daughter and boosted fiance are both sick with this virus and that is your response?  Predictable.

He was being ironic and I upvoted the post.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Coach Andy Mac

[UNTLifer]

9 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

ya...you can save the piety after you decided to work in your anti-science bullshit into some insincere show of concern. 

Thank you Bill Nye.  Go take a knee with Kap

[Coffee and TV]

Seems as though the f word has an interesting censor here. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

5 minutes ago, Coffee and TV said:

You know I'm just gonna break the rules here and tell you to go douchebag yourself. You well wishes are completely hollow with your condescending bullshit about her vaccine status. For the record she has never ran a fever and her oxygen levels are great, she's also tested both positive and negative (but we're pretty sure she has it given all the symptoms and timeline). The booster she received in November is probably keeping her out of the hospital or from having massive bouts of stomach troubles the way my daughter did. I was boostered 6 weeks ago and I am completely asymptomatic if I've caught it, so thank god I made that decision. 

Consider this a formal parting my man, I've tried to interact as adult as possible with the other side but this whole vaccine denial nonsense is the limit. You're blocked from here on out psycho. 

 

 

This part (as well as the original shot) is really the important part here in these discussions.

People will dismiss the vaccine as ineffective if a vaccinated person contracts even a mild case of it... yet there are mounds of evidence that the vaccine is the main reason the case is mild for some folks in the first place.   Just look at all of these hospitals releasing COVID ICU #s with a stark majority of patients unvaccinated.
My wife recently had it as well.    She's a breast cancer survivor, so her immune system is all kinds of shot due to chemo treatments (which, these same people would readily put chemo in their bodies to fight cancer, but have an issue with mRNA vaccines... just stupid, but I digress).    Me & my kids also had it with runny noses & small fevers/tummy troubles in the kids.   She had it much worse, yet still "mild" for sure.  I'm convinced, like you, that her vaccine+booster kept it from being dire.  And it definitely kept me asymptomatic (sans that drippy nose).

[UNTLifer]

7 minutes ago, Coffee and TV said:

You know I'm just gonna break the rules here and tell you to go douchebag yourself. You well wishes are completely hollow with your condescending bullshit about her vaccine status. For the record she has never ran a fever and her oxygen levels are great, she's also tested both positive and negative (but we're pretty sure she has it given all the symptoms and timeline). The booster she received in November is probably keeping her out of the hospital or from having massive bouts of stomach troubles the way my daughter did. I was boostered 6 weeks ago and I am completely asymptomatic if I've caught it, so thank god I made that decision. 

Consider this a formal parting my man, I've tried to interact as adult as possible with the other side but this whole vaccine denial nonsense is the limit. You're blocked from here on out psycho. 

 

 

You tried to interact as an adult, yet tell me to douchebag myself, tell me my comments are condescending bullshit, you  lied about your fiance getting sick for what reason?, and wrap up your childish rant with a comment calling me psycho.  Thanks for adulting.

 

[TheColonyEagle]

2 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

as to the article...I'd say people's fears and apprehensions have merit nearly three years into a pandemic...
 

On the contrary, being 3 years into the pandemic has afforded us loads of data and that data is overwhelming: there are several things in our world that put healthy college aged adults at risk and Covid, especially the aforementioned Omicron variant, is no where near the stratosphere of being one of those things. Yes I know, grandma is at home and you're gonna kill grandma but these kids being vaccinated doesn't protect her either.

"Everyone stay home" simply isn't acceptable anymore. Society cannot and should not function that way. 

Additional:

Oh....and I have Covid as we speak. I'm vaxxed (got my 2nd dose end of Sept so not time to get boosted)....however I'm not getting boosted now, I have natural immunity.

I was at a conference all last week (which mandated masks LOL), came home Thursday, Tested positive on Sunday. 24 hours or so of about a 101 fever and pretty good chills. Now I feel like I have a sinus infection. But I have the same light symptoms as the overwhelming majority of the people that have this strain have had (both vaxxed and unvaxxed by the way) and I'm not just talking those that have tested positive...for every confirmed positive that actually tested there are probably 3X that have it but don't test. I don't really know anyone that HASN'T had Covid at this point. Most of the people I know that have had Covid aren't vaccinated.....and they had no issues with it. 

Point being, enough with avoiding human beings in person. The risk/reward has shifted. To the original subject, the President said it: ........the omicron variant hasn’t impacted campus like previous variants.

He's absolutely right and using common sense. School is open, use your own judgement.

Edited January 26, 2022 by TheColonyEagle

[MeanGreenTexan]

5 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

On the contrary, being 3 years into the pandemic has afforded us loads of data and that data is overwhelming: there are several things in our world that put healthy college aged adults at risk and Covid, especially the aforementioned Omicron variant, is no where near the stratosphere of being one of those things. Yes I know, grandma is at home and you're gonna kill grandma but these kids being vaccinated doesn't protect her either.

"Everyone stay home" simply isn't acceptable anymore. Society cannot and should not function that way. 

 

Nevermind that this is callous... but by now, Grandma is probably vaccinated because she recognizes she's a little more susceptible, & doesn't want to die from COVID.

Or, she's watching too much Newsmax & has been hoodwinked, which would be a shame.

If everyone would step up and trust America's best & brightest, instead of buying these bozo's theories hook-line-&-sinker, we would definitely be back to normal sooner than later.   Believe it or not, "Everyone stay home" is not the goal/desire for ANYONE, regardless of which side of the aisle you fall on.

[Coffee and TV]

17 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

You tried to interact as an adult, yet tell me to douchebag myself, tell me my comments are condescending bullshit, you  lied about your fiance getting sick for what reason?, and wrap up your childish rant with a comment calling me psycho.  Thanks for adulting.

 

Don't act innocent you know what you did. You tried to get in a smarmy own of me via my fiancee's health with your ignorant baby brained views about a vaccine that's nothing short of a miracle stop-gap. I can act uncivil at times and I try to do better, but in this case I have absolutely no regrets. You crossed the line and I've just decided to block you at this point. If you were to ever say something like that to me in person just know that I would just as easily have the same words for you. 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Coffee and TV

[TheColonyEagle]

6 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Nevermind that this is callous... but by now, Grandma is probably vaccinated because she recognizes she's a little more susceptible, & doesn't want to die from COVID.

Or, she's watching too much Newsmax & has been hoodwinked, which would be a shame.

If everyone would step up and trust America's best & brightest, instead of buying these bozo's theories hook-line-&-sinker, we would definitely be back to normal sooner than later.   Believe it or not, "Everyone stay home" is not the goal/desire for ANYONE, regardless of which side of the aisle you fall on.

Of course Grandma is vaxxed up. My parents are too. I brought up "grandma" because that's where this argument usually goes. And that argument doesn't work anymore. 

as for the "bozo's" I'm pretty sure your "best and brightest" are being proven to be the bozos led by our supreme leader Dr. Fauci. Surely you don't trust him anymore

 

[UNTLifer]

3 minutes ago, Coffee and TV said:

Don't act innocent you know what you did. You tried to get in a smarmy own of me via my fiancee's health with your ignorant baby brained views about a vaccine that's nothing short of a miracle stop-gap. I can act uncivil at times and I try to do better, but in this case I have absolutely no regrets. You crossed the line and I've just decided to block you at this point. If you were to ever say something like that to me in person just know that I would just as easily have the same words for you. 

Take it as you wish.  Not sure what I said other than wishing your family members well.  I didn't cross any line and would love the opportunity to sit down with you at any time and have a civil discussion although you are proving that you are incapable.  Good day.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Just now, TheColonyEagle said:

Of course Grandma is vaxxed up. My parents are too. I brought up "grandma" because that's where this argument usually goes. And that argument doesn't work anymore. 

as for the "bozo's" I'm pretty sure your "best and brightest" are being proven to be the bozos led by our supreme leader Dr. Fauci. Surely you don't trust him anymore

 

I really don't understand this narrative.   Is he supposed to be a attention-seeking, power-hungry, sadistic, emperor wannabe or something?   What is this guy's angle outside of trying to navigate a never-before-seen virus's effect on an extremely large population of people that will not listen to his advice?    And honestly, the best & brightest I'm talking about are the myriads of reputable doctors, epidemiologists, virologists, pathologists, etc... that have all come to the same conclusion.   If what Dr. Fauci was saying is wrong, these folks won't just go along with it.   I believe these best & brightest would absolutely put his feet to the fire if he were giving bad advice.
Dr. Fauci's fault is that he keeps trying to answer a bunch of "gotcha" questions that is basically all today's media is anymore.  It's just shark fodder.  And honestly, he doesn't say "I don't know" nearly enough... because there is still so much we don't know about this thing.  But obviously he feels like that would be used against him.   Poor guy is in a no-win situation.   I'm surprised he hasn't stepped down so he doesn't have to deal with this crap anymore (I probably would have).