Article 2

        The article States, Not Dorms All Thanks to Mold discusses how the aftermath of Hurricane Irene caused excessive mold at St. Mary’s College of Maryland forcing the shutdown of two dormitories. The shutdown forced 240 students off campus into surrounding hotels. One hotel in particular was a 45 minute drive from campus. The college continued to search for a safer and closer alternative until an alumnus suggested moving the students into a 286-foot cruise ship, docked on the St. Mary’s River, just off campus.

            Though the ship is not extravagant it has improved the living conditions for the displaced students. The ship’s gift shop has been converted to an office for resident officials, the ballroom functions as a social lounge, and the pub has transformed into a coffee shop. The crew replaces linens and towels twice a week and provides laundry service. Students also share a bathroom with their roommates rather than an entire dormitory floor.   

            These arrangements will be short-lived as students will move out of the cruise ship when the semester ends in December. The dormitories will be fully cleansed and students will move back on campus at the beginning of the second semester in January.

            The classroom behaviors caused by this scenario are similar to those I mentioned in my last article involving snow day cancellations. However, this situation is unique in that not all students will be affected by positive emotions. The impacted students will be distracted from their studies while they worry about one of their most basic needs, shelter.

            In a college setting I would not expect student behavior to be immediately noticeable or overly disruptive. The students will most likely go into their shell isolating themselves from their peers and support groups. These students will continue to blend in with the other students though they may have an increase in absences. I believe this behavior will cause their academic progress to suffer extensively.

            The teachers on campus will need to be proactive, and find out if any of their students have been displaced by the dormitory closure. The teachers will then need to make an extra effort in building a relationship with those students to discover how the displacement is impacting them. Whether the student is excited by the opportunity or troubled by the forced relocation, the time they have to dedicate to their studies is diminished by a situation they can’t control.

            In order to keep management over the classroom each teacher needs to understand how unique this scenario is. While the impacted students are moving between residences, commuting to and from campus, and becoming familiar with their new homes they are enduring forced difficulties which cut into their college experience. Each teacher will need to modify their expectations in some way whether it’s a project extension, open book test, or elimination of material. These students are losing days, nights, and weekends from their lives and do not have the same allocated study time as their non-affected peers.

            In conclusion I find this situation is best handled by being proactive and understanding. Neither the school nor the students had any control over the shutdown of the two dorms. The school is doing the best they can to accommodate those students, but each time the students move they are impacted both positively and negatively. If the teachers work with the students to understand how they are impacted individually they can foster an environment in the classroom that allows for success.