Some Students Think New Alcohol Policy Goes To Far

N NEW ALCOHOL POLICY

ANDREW TOMLINSON

2/12/09

American University’s new alcohol policy, enacted this year, now makes it against student code to be in the presence of alcohol.

American University has been a dry campus for over a decade. The alcohol policy remained unchanged through much of that time but this year restrictions hav

e been increased. Now it is a Judicial Affairs Mediation Services (JAMS) violation to be in the presence of alcohol.

According the Student Handbook it is against residence hall policy to, “Knowingly and voluntarily be in the presence of alcohol in the residence halls.”

This new policy is much stricter than previous years. Before this year, the student conduct code was only broken if a student was caught consuming alcohol. This new rule was put into pla

ce to discourage other students who weren’t drinking from encouraging alcohol use and contributing to hall noise.

Students on campus are in an uproar over the new policy. They feel it is going a little bit to far in order to stop underage drinking. There was no word of the policy switch from the administration until the initial floor meetings during the fall semester. While, they think it is excessive some do understand why

the administration have made the change.

“I think it’s kind of over the top,” senior Mike Lock said. “But, at the same time the administration wants AU to be a dry campus, from a policy stand point I understand it.”

Lock is in the minority however, as many students expressed the concern for sober students caught in rooms with alcohol present. Students often times feel peer pressured to be around alco

hol even if they don’t drink. The policy creates an awkward situation socially for some, as they have to decide whether to report their roommate and friends or get in trouble themselves.

“It’s a problem especially since I feel like most roommates do not want to seem like they are uptight,” sophomore Jessica Rybka said.

JAMS has attempted to justify the policy all year by doing in-services on hall floors. There they answer

all of the student’s questions about that policy and other regulations. While, they give the student’s their reasoning, residents don’t seem satisfied with the justification.

“I think its stupid,”(name removed at request of source) a freshman living in Anderson Hall said. “If you’re not drinking you shouldn’t be in trouble.”

JAMS and American University Housing and Dining have said repeatedly that the reason is to decrease noise. The administ

ration believes that just by being in the presence of alcohol you are more apt to add to the noise. While, the noise policy is valid several believe students who are sober and loud should be documented for that not alcohol.

“I don’t think noise always has to do with drinking,” Freshman Chelsea Glovis said. “It could be two people and music that causes the noise not necessarily that their intoxicated.”

All students who are reported for the violation have to face punishment and an alcohol violation is much more serious than a noise complaint. Alcohol classes are required for all first time offenders of the drinking policy. For ma

ny AU students though, the punishment doesn’t out weigh the benefits of drinking on campus.

“The only punishment is classes,” Glovis said. “No one really cares about the classes as they don’t take up to much time.”

Resident Assistants end up conflicted on whether or not to enforce the policy. It is hard for some to report students who were just caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. Even with their sympathy however most believe it is a necessary policy to keep the halls safe.

“The new policy helps students have a clear idea of the universities position on alcohol,” Resident Assistant Jesse Fiorito said.

“It encourages them to make safer and healthier decisions.”

With the increased number of students on campus this year the administration has made stricter policies all the way around. With a large incoming class university officials are just simply looking out for safety. Safety is important to students but when it begins to encroach on their rights many would rather be on their own.

American University is not the only college in the United States that institutes a dry campus policy. Harvard University reports that one in three college campuses are dry. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving 44 percent of college students reported binge drinking in a survey. As result many universities have chosen to be dry in an effort to stymie the students desire to drink.