This is college life under the neo-fascist order of what Giorgio Agamben calls "biosecurity."
MCM >From Francis Karagodins: "The COVID-19 Student Handbook Addendum," which was sent today to the > student body of my college, describes the ethics to be followed in the fall > semester. I summarize and quote its choicest passages below. > > The Handbook reads that "Masks will be made available around campus for > anyone who needs one. You should feel empowered," it continues, "to > approach someone without a mask and ask them if they need help finding a > spare." Arriving students will be given "two reusable cloth masks," and > disposable masks will be available "for those who forget or misplace" > them. They must be used everywhere, including the bathroom, "unless you are > brushing your teeth or taking a shower." Otherwise, concludes the section, > "Use common sense when walking around campus and always have a face > covering ready for immediate use." > > The Handbook observes that "Active listening is key" when questioning > persons who are not wearing a mask, of which the likely causes are a) their > not having completed "their health check for the day," or else b) their > feeling "upset or rebellious or angry about the circumstances." These can > be discovered by careful inquiry. > > In the case of a), the person "can be gently reminded" of the rules. The > Handbook admonishes the reader to remember that "Most people want to do > the right thing. The right thing right now," it concedes, "looks different > than what we’ve known for most of our lives, so it is going to take some > getting used to." In the case of b), the psychological cause is explained > first. Rather than testifying to depravity in the given persons, "It > means they are struggling with managing the experiences they are > encountering." There follows a passage outlining the responsibilities of > the Bard Care Team, which "will follow restorative justice principles in > addressing situations that are not resolved through individual > conversation." Persons whose behavior requires further intervention shall > be referred for review to the Dean of Student Affairs Office, which may > culminate in "a restorative conference if the student or employee continues > to interfere with the living and learning environment of others." Finally, > persons who exhibit ongoing and irreformable neglect of rules "may be > separated from campus." > > "Social distancing has to be maintained whenever possible." Of such > moment is this rule that "Organizers of events where social distancing is > not followed or where attendees fail to wear face coverings when required > will be prohibited from organizing or hosting future events." Moreover, > "Standing > in the hallway should be kept to a minimum, and groups must not congregate > in hallways." > > The Handbook would encourage students "to journal about their daily > contacts and interactions at the end of every day." Addressing the reader > as it were vis-a-vis, "This will give you feedback on how you are handling > social distancing," it says, "and where you may want to shift behavior. It > will also help if information is needed for contact tracing," it adds. > > The Handbook ends with a student health pledge outlining twelve necessary > commitments, which I reproduce in full: > > *1. Stay in my residence hall room/living space and notify Bard Health > Service at 845-758-7433 if I have symptoms of COVID-19: Coughing, chills, > fever, muscle/body aches, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, > headache, loss of taste/smell, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or > diarrhea. 2. As per CDC guidelines, follow all guidelines outlined by > Health Services for quarantining if I have received a contact tracing call > and am required to quarantine. If I live on campus, I understand that this > may require that I move to a temporary location that is not my permanent > residence hall room. 3. Participate in any required pre-screening tests > before work, class, any Bard sanctioned events, or entry into any on-campus > buildings (e.g., temperature checks, health surveys, sanitation > checkpoints). 4. Comply with any testing protocols mandated by state, > federal, or Bard authorities. 5. Wash my hands with soap and warm water (or > use hand sanitizer) frequently throughout the day, including before and > after entering bathrooms, dining halls, residence halls, off-campus > buildings, classrooms, and any other public/high contact areas. 6. Complete > required COVID-related trainings, including any work, class, and event > specific trainings; 7. Wear a face mask/covering around other people and in > all common spaces. 7. Adhere to all social distancing, mask wearing, and > other protocols specific to classroom, laboratory, and studio and rehearsal > spaces. 7. Follow College policy to clean high-touch areas and shared > items. 8. Maintain social distancing on and off campus in accordance with > College policy and New York State law. 9. Respectfully remind peers of > safety expectations and be respectful, in return, if someone reminds me to > comply with safety expectations. 10. Adhere to all recommended health and > safety protocols, including social distancing and mask wearing, when off > campus in surrounding communities. 11. In the event that it becomes > necessary, comply with all evacuation and lock down procedures mandated by > state, federal, or Bard authorities. 12. Report any violations of the above > community standards to ensure the safety of our community. * > > -- If you appreciate News From Underground, please consider making a donation — either a one-time gift or a monthly subscription: http://markcrispinmiller.com/support/ Thank you for your support. Ways to unsubscribe: 1) send a blank email to newsfromunderground+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com PLEASE NOTE: you must unsubscribe using the SAME email with which you subscribed 2) go to http://groups.google.com/group/newsfromunderground and click on the "Unsubscribe or change membership" link in the yellow bar at the top of the page, then click the "Unsubscribe" button on the next page. 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