Fear of swine flu nixes Northeastern graduation handshakes

well that is just stupid.

OMG...this is getting stupid...

I recommend the graduates "shake hands" as portrayed in the future by the movie "Demolition Man": by placing their palm up to the other person's palm WITHOUT TOUCHING, and waving their hand clockwise. Sure, it'll look dumb, but any precaution is worth it to avoid any possible swine flu, apparently!

cmon stop freaking out.....

Has anybody at NU ever heard of hand sanitizer?

Ridiculous!

Ridiculous.

a few hundred grand doesn't even buy you a handshake?

It amazes how much everyone is overreacting because this flu has a media-friendly name to go along with it... The swine flu is no more dangerous than any normal influenza thrown at us every year. It's the flu people! This crosses the line of due diligence into paranoid territory.

This is just the continually pansification of America. Why have an immune system if you're not going to use it.?

I agree with Joe Biden. Getting together in a large group like this is a recipe for disaster. I wouldnt go.

Is this a joke? The Dean can't just use Purell? Is the Dean prone to touching his/her nose in between handshakes? You can't get the flu if you don't touch your face after shaking someone's hand. I'm really believe that Purell should be an option. If you're choosing to head a university, you're taking the chance to have public contact. It's not like running a university turns you into Donald Trump.

Are similar events in winter handshake-free?

They should wear mask too!

Ridiculous

C'mon people.. this is a right of passage. Just have a bottle of hand sanitizer ready and apply after each shake!

I'm all for due caution, but as far as I know, Northeastern is not located in Mexico City. I am amazed that the University is going to such an extreme.

Everyone put on haz mat suits under your cap and gown. This is so being blown out of proportion.

People are over reacting! These precautions, are the same we should be taking year round! More people die in this country of the "regular" flu, than they have of the swine flu...there has only been 1 death in the U.S, and the others are mild cases.

i have to say that i am a bit ashamed of my school right now...but you have to admit that they are just a cog in the system of over-reaction to every possible public health scare that comes along by the media and the American sheeple

You all wouldn't be saying this is ridiculous, if someone were to catch swine flu through an event like this. Take a great ceremony and make it tragic, why don't you? People travel from miles upon miles away, by airplanes and unfortunately, you can't be too careful. These planes travel everywhere and are transporting all types of germs beyond the possibility of the H1N1 virus. When you woke up a few mornings ago, did you think the nations and several other countries would be dealing with something like this, but look how quickly it is spreading? It never hurts to be precautious. I don't think it's cause for panic, but at least they have everyone's best interest at heart. Do you?

I'm kind of looking forward to not having to touch anyone...thanks.

Will the geniuses require all graduates to be bubble wrapped too?

c'mon, this is nuts! (uncomfortable pause) isn't it?

I'm still buggin out about the bird flu!!!!! Too many flus!

I work at a University who's HR department simply does not handshake... how crazy is that?

I can't believe the dept of public health recommended that. there is not an outbreak at NU. It makes sense to ask that anyone with flu symptoms not attend, but to not shake hands is ridiculous. someone can sneeze within 50 ft of you and you can get it, so it's not just from a handshake. they might as well have everyone wear masks or just mail the diplomas if they are going to be serious and "conservative" about it.

Dear Devin,

Yes.

Love,
A graduate of NU walking tomorrow.

I come from Mexico and first of all you guys from Boston do not have the problem as big as we have it in Mexico. There are only 2 cases in Massachusetts and the people are probably even hospitalized. You guys should not panic at all if there was a graduation in Mexico then yes the handshake should be omitted.

Is it that tough? Don't shake hands.just to be on the safe side. If they have the handshake and some of the graduates come down with swine flu the same people calling it ridiculous would be asking why more precautions weren't taken. No handshake no problem. No Big Deal.

for those of you who are confused why Northeastern, which is so far from Mexico, is doing this, it is because there have been at least 2 cases of swine flu near Boston. I'm all for this, I'd take the lack of a handshake over the possible spread of a deadly flu.

WHAT?! HOW UNPROFESSIONAL OF NU TO CONSIDER SUCH A MOVE!

AS NU ALUMNI...THIS IS EMBARRASSING!

A HANDSHAKE IS PART OF THE PROFESSIONAL COURTESY FROM FACULTY TO A GRADUATE SIGNIFYING A CONGRATULATORY GESTURE WHEN ONE RECEIVES HIS/HER DEGREE.

NO HANDSHAKE CHEAPENS THE EVENT AND GIVES THE "PERCEPTION" TO THE GRADUATE THAT THE FACULTY REVIEW OF HIS/HER WORK ISN'T GENUINE OR WORTHY OF SUCH AN HONOR.

Methinks poster #19, currently "Ava," is the dean's wife.

At some point in the not too distant future, we will all wake up some day and realize what a bunch of idiots are running the world and how we have totally lost touch with reality. I hope that day comes sooner rather than later because what we are experiencing now is beyond my imagination.

The media has grown tired of reporting on the economy so they have to choose something else to drum up ratings.....truly pathetic.....

this is stupid. so you don't shake the dean's hand... won't graduates still be hugging, kissing, shaking hands with their family and friends? even if everyone with flu-like symptoms stays home, someone is bound to sneeze or cough.

why don't we all just hide in our homes until all cases of swine flu have passed?

I spend five years at this school, studying like a mad man and breaking the bank while i'm at it and this one handshake is the only thing i had to look forward to... thanks swine flu. now i have no reason to go.

i am not at all concerned about swine flu, more people die of the flu yearly....after paying a crap load of money to NU, working hard for five long years, shouldn't I at least get a handshake? too much to ask for? or do i need to pay another 40,000 dollars for it... my college, is ridiculous... and to ask people not to attend!.. insane.

While kind of silly, I see that while you may wash your hands not everyone will.

so he can wear gloves I mean really...

I'm not a doctor (just a medical student), but I think the point is that the dean could serve as a vector to transmit the virus to everyone whose hand he shakes. Suppose graduate #1,500 in the line of 5,000 is infected by a relative who's in town for graduation. The dean shakes the hand of the infected student, and then has to shake the hand of another 3,500 graduates -- each of whom he could give the virus to. I don't think this policy is in place to protect the dean; I think it's meant to protect the population.

I am a student of Northeastern University and am attending graduation tomorrow. I worked seven long years for my doctorate and am very upset about this. I have a very good relationship with my Dean and was looking foward to him presenting me my diploma and shaking his had. This is all getting out of control.

The swine flu has been concidered "Deadly" Alot of people have already died from it. I do not blame Northeastern University for doing this. I believe this is in the best interest for everyone. Imagine going to get your diploma 10 days later have the flu and die. How crazy would that be? Just because they shook hands with an infected swine. NO THANKS Keep your hands and face to yourself !

Flu watcher: Hand sanitizer is useless. It contains antibiotics. Antibiotics kill bacteria. The flu is caused by a virus. You need to RINSE your hands. Plain old, inexpensive soap helps too. I won't shake hands since I heard of John Edwards blowing his nose, wiping his hands on his pants, and then shaking hands. I'm still not worried about the Mexican flu though.

@Ava:

Yes, I would still call it ridiculous. If someone catches a cold as a result of the handshakes, is it a tragic event? How about one of the usual strains of influenza that float around every year? He's statistically much more likely to catch one of those than he is to contract swine flu (sorry, I meant H1N1, we mustn't risk offending anyone when referring to an influenza virus).

And if someone with the swine flu coughs or sneezes as they approach the podium, well, it's all over for the poor old dean anyway, folks, handshake or not.

Awful. Why even go to a graduation if you don't get to shake hands with the dean(s)? I believe I shook 2 or 3 hands up on stage at my college graduation.

What will the photographer do? Isn't there a customary picture of the graduate shaking hands with the dean? Is this just a case of over-protective mothers now ruling the Earth?

this is absolutely ridiculous. after years of hard work + thousands of dollars, i'd stick my hand out there + demand it be shaken.

The pull string on the garbage bag I've put over my head is stuck and I can't breathe! HELP!!!!