In Response to: Scenes from the 2018 P-rade [6]

Princeton has over the years stood firmly against many passing fads in our society, and for truth and for sound, evidence-based decision-making. It’s a shame that during Reunions, it couldn’t have stood against the current American fad for excessive aversion to risk. 

Anyone with a weather-radar app on their phone could tell that the lightning storm was dissipating and passing to the south even as the order to “pause” the P-rade was being given. In 34 consecutive Reunions, I’ve marched in far worse rain than we experienced. And the disorderly way in which the parade was canceled carried risks of its own: A number of us were trapped in an arch for some time with a bagpipe band, exchanging hypothetical electrocution for a very real risk of hearing damage. 

Erring on the side of caution is still erring. This was an unnecessary error.