Michael, a Michigan State student, and seven of his closest friends have signed a lease on September 8, 2019, for a 12-month lease beginning on August 26, 2020, on a house at 532 Abbot Road in East Lansing, Michigan. It is typical for students to sign leases almost a year in advance as housing demand is high in college towns. And this house is the perfect place to live - just past the bar district and two blocks from the MSU campus. The yearly rent on the house is $48,000 or $500 per month each. They all signed the same lease together promising to pay the entire amount. The landlord, Crappy College Homes LLC, "CCH" rents exclusively to Michigan State students for the purpose of housing during the college semesters. The lease makes no mention of the purpose of the lease, but you may not apply to rent the house without a valid student MSU ID, no subtenants are allowed, and the start date for the 12-month lease is the very unusual 26^th of August to coincide with the start of the Fall semester at Michigan State.

In July 2020, Michigan State University announced that the campus will be closed for the entire academic year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. All instruction will occur online. All on-campus (dorm) housing contracts are canceled for the entire academic year. No one is even allowed on the campus. Plus, and tragically, bars are closed by local police orders. House parties involving anyone other than residents are quickly shut down by the police. (The police station is less than a block away.) Michael and his friends do not believe they should have to pay for the rent under the lease and would prefer to cancel and take the classes from their parent's homes. CCH clearly disagrees and has threatened suit if rent is not paid on time.

According to the concepts in the book under Discharge by Operation of Law and your opinion, do Michael and his friends have to pay rent during the fall term? Why or why not? What are the best arguments that Michael should have to pay rent? What are the best arguments that he should not have to pay rent?