Strict dorm alcohol policy comes under debate
By Carrie Dennett
Emerald Reporter
In response to a federal "zero-tolerance" attitude to
ward alcohol abuse. University Housing this fall is
adopting its own hardline stance to drinking in the
dorms.
"We felt that it was necessary, both through federal
regulation and the need to provide a pleasant sur
rounding for our residents, to take a somewhat more
aggressive stance in implementing the policies that are
already in place," said Marge Ramey, University
Housing director.
Starting this year, in situations identified as "par
ties." resident assistants will send the residents of the
room in which parlies are held directly to the Office of
Student Conduct. In previous years, students were
sent to the student manager or resident director of
their residence hall complex
For their night of revelry, students could face penal
ties ranging from community service to expulsion
from the dorms
The University, along with other institutions receiv
ing federal funding, could have funds pulled if it deers
not comply with the new regulations about reporting
alcohol abuse.
The federal definition of alcohol abuse is any use of
alcohol by someone under the age of 21. and use by
those over 21 at a level above that which is deemed
safe, determined by an individual's body weight and
the time period in which the drinks were consumed
The ongoing problem with carrying out this policy
in the residence halls is how to define a "party." It is
loosely defined as any gathering involving alcohol,
noise, and more than just a few people, but the specif
ic definition is something RAs have to grapple with
"It's a very gray area, and I feel they want us to
makes black-and-white definition." said Mike Spring
er, who is beginning his second year as an KA
"They make it very clear that we can’t overlook any
thing. that we can’t let things slide by." Springer said.
‘It’s good on paper, but in actu
ality it's really hard to enforce. ’
— Shannon Mills
"But what do they consider turning our heads?"
"Each RA has a different idea of what a party is."
said Kim Henshaw, an RA in Bean Complex This can
create conflict with residents if a similar situation is
dealt with more harshly by one KA than by another
“We try very hard to keep uniformity, but it’s hard
to always have the same voice," Ramey said
"What a party is is really my judgment at the time.”
said RA Shannon Mills. "That's the toughest part, fig
uring out what’s a party and what's not "
"It's more confusing because last year we felt the
KA had much more control over a situation." Springer
said "Now. we feel with the zero-tolerance alcohol
policy, the threat of losing funding for the University,
that we no longer can really define what's a party and
what's not a party, without somewhere along the line
somebody getting in trouble for it.”
Ramey said there are no penalties facing an RA
who makes an incorrect decision uliout a party situa
tion outside of existing measures that would apply to
any problem an RA was having with his or her job.
All three RAs agree that there seem to be fewer par
ties in the dorms than this time last year. Residents
seem to be leaving the dorms to party, rather than just
going to another dorm, because they know the policy
is being enforced in all the dorms. Henshaw said.
"What I've noticed is that it's a little scarier." Mills
said. "When you go through the conduct system, you
don't know what your punishment is going to be. You
know you are going to go to conduct, but you don't
know anything past that."
This brings up a question: Does the policy actually
minimize drinking by residents, or does it just push
them out of the dorms and possibly into drinking and
driving situations?
Springer said it w ill be interesting to see what hap
pens when the weather turns bad. He said he believes
more students may try to stay in the dorms to party, or
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