debenedi@yale-comix.UUCP (Robert DeBenedictis) (04/15/84)
Hi, here at yale it often seems like the administration doesn't like
the students to have fun. The people who run the system are always
worried that someone's going to drink too much and die (it happened
last year, but the kid had also taken some barbituates). Anyway,
I was wondering how other schools deal with this problem. What are
the rights of those who want to have a good time? What are the rights
of those who want to get to bed early on Saturday night? What are the
rights of University in telling you what you can and can't do at a party?
I should briefly describe the housing setup here at yale. The university
is divided up into 12 'residential colleges.' Each residential college
has a dining hall, a Dean (for academic affairs), and a Master (responsible
for social life). There are only two frats, both very small. Below is
excerpts from something the Master gave me before my hallway had a wild
party (last night -- Boy, was it a regretable evening; many wasted people).
One other thing, we have this organization called SAC (Social Activities
Committee) which you can join for $30. They give parties money to help pay
for alcohol. However, they listen to the administration more than the
students.
Excerpts from:
STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF MASTERS POLICY ON NOISE AND
ALCOHOL IN THE RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES
No events likely to create noise disturbing to the College may be held in
the College after 11:00 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday nights or 1:00 a.m. on
Friday and Saturday nights. On specific application to the Master of the
College, permission may be granted once per term for a Saturday night event to
extend until 2:00 a.m.
At any event for which all three following conditions apply, an off-duty
campus policeman must be hired and be present throughout the event: if
admission is charged; . . .
It follows that all groups contemplating the holding of activities in the
College must discuss these activities with the Master well in advance. The
Master should be given a full calendar of SAC events for the term by the end
of the second week of each semester. If the Dining Hall is to be used . . .
Any event which recieves any funds from the College Council or SAC, however
small these funds may be, is viewed as an event coming under these expectations.
Events may be scheuled more spontaneously, of course, but these too must be
discussed with the Master to avoid conflicts with other organizations which
also have a legitimate claim on College common space.
Any charge for an event must relate to the cost of the entertainment
offered and not to the refreshments. Alcohol may not be sold under any rubric
or subterfuge, and it may not be given to anyone under the age of twenty. The
Master is expected to look at the books of any organization receiving SAC or
Master's funds at the end of each semester and may requst the books more
frequently if this seems necessary. Organizations must maintain books in such
a way as to be clearly comprehensible to those entitled to examine them, and
bills must be paid promptly. Any damage occuring during an event sponsored by
a specific group should be paid for by that group unless it can be attributed
to indentifiable individuals. For this reason, it is prudent of organizations
to maintain a balance in their accounts to the end of the year to meet
potential damage costs. Accordingly, the University will charge no overhead
for the use of common spaces in the College.
If alcohol is to be served, there must be an equal quantity of an equal
quality non-alcoholic beverage available at all times. Should the supply of
non-alcoholic beverage run out, the bar must close immediately. Anyone
serving must be instructed not to serve anyone under age or intoxicated, and
any bartender must twenty or older. All functions at which alcohol is served
must display notices that read, "The legal drinking age in Connecticut is 20."
Alcohol is not to be served at any event primarily intended for Freshmen, nor
at any event held on the Old Campus, nor by the Freshmen Counselors. Any
alcoholic punch, etc. should be clearly labeled. To be certain that these
expectations are met, obviously one or more members of the sponsoring
organization must take specific responsibilty for a given event.
No event may advertise alcohol. Masters may review the content of
posters in advance if they wish. All posters must be placed in designated
areas of the Colleges and on the campus.
---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ----------
I'm just posting this because I think net.college should discuss issues
related to LIFE at school, and not just the academic aspects. Regtfully,
I must say that if you send me mail on this matter you may not get a reply
for 2 months since I gotta put my ass in gear to graduate.
"Now, We're Never Alone"
Another Student At The Commencement (I hope!) from
Robert DeBenedictis
decvax!yale-comix!debenedispaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford) (04/16/84)
Georgia Tech has recently passed some new regulations concerning
parties and alcohol. The problem has (seemed to be) mostly with the
frats, but some dorm parties and private parties have also gotten a bit
too far out of hand.
The campus health director and the dean of students have formed a
committee to supervise any event on campus having alcohol present.
There has been concern recently about alcohol abuse; each quarter
averages 10 or 11 cases of acute alcohol poisoning, and 1 or 2 cases of
fatalities or near-fatalities directly attributable to alcohol. Last
year, there were at least two cases of women bringing legal action
because they drank themselves into unconciousness (or were possibly
drugged) and then raped at frats. This is when Tech isn't considered a
party school, especially compared to nearby University of Georgia!
I'm not sure what all of the regulations are, but I seem to remember
that no campus event may be centered around alcohol (ie., no mint julep
parties, or drinking contests). There must be an equal quantity of
non-alcoholic beverages present. Drinking age in Georgia is 19 and
this regulation is to be enforced. There have been reminders that
legal precedent has been set for hosts' responsibility in the case of
damage or death caused by someone drinking at a party.
As a grad student who doesn't attend any on-campus parties, I really
can't say what the situation is like other than what I've heard.
There is a lot of pressure on the students here, and I suspect that
the problems with alcohol are related to that; luckily, the
suicide rate is low.
--
Off the Wall of Gene Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet: Spaf @ GATech ARPA: Spaf.GATech @ CSNet-Relay
uucp: ...!{akgua,allegra,rlgvax,sb1,unmvax,ulysses,ut-sally}!gatech!spafdjl@fisher.UUCP (Dan Levin N6BZA ) (04/16/84)
Well, as best I can tell (from 18 months of fairly intense but
private partying), here is the situation at Princeton.
1) You cannot get money from any student or University
organization for alchohol at parties. This is due
to the drinking age (21).
1A) But, you can get $$$ from both your class, and from the
residential college you live in (if any) to offset the
non-booze related costs.
2) Hours are till 12mid on weekdays, and 2:00 a.m. on Fri. and
Sat. (at least in dorms).
3) You can advertise all you want, and in any manner you want, but
the proctors reserve the right to drop by. They will not bother
you about the drinking age, or the conditions of the bar, only
about noise and other annoyances to other students.
4) No University related function of any kind serves booze to
anyone. However, they generally let you bring up to 1/4 keg
of your own (or the equivilant).
--
***dan
{ihnp4 | decvax | ucbvax}!allegra!fisher!djl
The misplaced (you call *that* a mountain ?!?!?) Californiancitrin@ucbvax.UUCP (Wayne Citrin) (04/16/84)
For all the legalism, this seems like a reasonable way to protect the rights of all of the people living in a dorm and also to protect the University's ass if something unfortunate should happen. Of course, there are prospects for abuses and harassment, but there should be grievance channels. If all of these dorm rules begin to restrictive to you, do what most people I knew at Cornell (and know here at Berkeley) do: get your own place off-campus. (Admittedly in our case this was also made necessary by the dorm housing shortage.) Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)