Diseases and college networks
http://www.wndu.com/mmm/headlines/College_dorms_are_
breeding_grounds_for_disease_128834498.html
This news article speaks of how college dorms are “breeding grounds for disease”. It says such diseases mononucleosis and STDs are very common. What’s important to understand from these statements is why. We realize that the article focuses on college students, and we’re going to explore why they’re at risk.
In college, large groups of people from various backgrounds, both ethnic and geographical are brought together, and with them they often bring disease or are introduced to a new disease they are unfamiliar with at their new campus. Such diseases are often at campus beforehand because students stay on the campus for years. These students that are already there are likely already carriers for the diseases. This starts to create a cesspool of disease. Essentially, the building blocks for an outbreak are being assembled.
Once in college, social bonds are quickly formed. Such bonds can be seen below in an example from our text.
These Karate clubs could be college clubs, and simply show a small portion of a college network. If showing the entire college network, connected to them, would be many, many more nodes, representing students. The graph would seemingly become a giant cluster. Properties like Strong Triadic Closure help ensure bonds are formed between mutual friends, thus continually growing this network.
Once these bonds are formed, respiratory diseases quickly start to spread with friends who are in direct contact with other friends, a very common thing. Likewise, STDs can also start to spread among different relationships in a similar, yet likely smaller manner. The reason being is that it’s much easier to cough on someone than to get into deep physical contact along with the fact that it’s harder to avoid getting coughed on versus preparing for safe-intercourse.
Truly, college, with its large spanning networks, becomes a place where diseases run wild, as students try to avoid becoming prey while dangerously keeping themselves connected to a network of friends and colleges.
-Dr. Feel Good