US college campus demonstrations

https://www.inquirer.com/news/pro-palestinian-protests-columbia-philadelphia-20240424.html 

At Villanova University, a “Gaza Solidarity” event has been scheduled by the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine for noon next Tuesday. It’s being described by the chapter as a “disruptive yet peaceful action,” whose members ask participants to “please wear your mask and wear all black.”

Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, Ph.D.

President, Villanova University

Dear Father Donohue,

With all due respect, on behalf of tens of thousands of Villanova alumni, both living and deceased, we pray that the chaos that is occurring at some colleges and universities in the US, will not spread to Villanova.

I humbly suggest that you could alert Villanova's faculty, police, and students (including the seminary and Law School) of the Inquirer report and ask them to participate with you in a counter, peaceful demonstration--surrounding the demonstrators and leading the counter demonstrators in a rosary. These counter demonstrations could apply to any future demonstrations that violate Villanova's principles of "Unitas, Veritas and Caritas". 

Mary, Mother of Jesus, pray for you, and pray for Villanova.

Sincerely,

Ray Koenig

class of 1968

collapse of Maryland's key bridge

In the wake of the collapse of the francis scott key bridge in maryland, governor Wes Moore pledged that it will never happen again. 

https://www.kxl.com/latest-francis-scott-key-bridge-collapse/

so, what's the governor got in mind? I suspect nothing of a specific nature.

Here are some thoughts:

1. replace the main spans with simple spans. when simple spans fail, the failure is limited to one or two spans (if a pier supporting two simple spans fails). when multi-span continuous spans fail, multiple spans fail.
2. install an automated system that closes the bridge when the bridge fails.
3. install an automated system to prevent huge cargo ships from leaving the shipping channel.

1 and 2 should be clear enough to engineers. 

further explaining #3:

similar to providing an automated system that would close the bridge if it fails, an automated system could be implemented that would fire torpedoes at a cargo ship that leaves the shipping channel--with just enough explosives to disable the ship and keep it from hitting the bridge.

a variation of this concept is to line the channel with fixed underwater mines that would yield the same result. above the water line, highly visible fixed buoys would be used to alert tug boats and others to stay clear of the mines.

when all is said and done, the cost of this catastrophe will probably exceed many times the cost of the container ship and all of its cargo. that notwithstanding, how much are lives of people crossing the bridge worth? answer: priceless. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wes_Moore_Official_Governor_Portrait.jpg

attribution: Maryland State Government via Wikimedia Commons