Last December, as I anxiously waited in a jam-packed theater for the lights to dim and “The Return of the King” to start, I suddenly noticed some youngsters yelling the word “penis” louder and louder.
The routine is familiar to me because I too was once a perpetrator. For the unaware, juveniles play the “Penis Game” to experience the rush of causing discomfort for others. When I hear a new youngsters enter their penis yelling stage, my reaction is a fond nostalgia.
The sound of a beer bottle dropped four stories from the Village A Rooftop at 3 a.m. is a different matter. Unruly drunks do not induce any such nostalgia. Although I appreciate the excitement of new-found freedom, these perpetrators are old enough to know better, and their destructive habits are threatening my safety on this campus.
At Georgetown, the falling beer bottle hazard is a regular occurrence, fighting is a regular occurrence and if this campus were more spread out, drinking and driving would be a regular occurrence. As recently as last week, some irresponsible Hoyas have caused seniors injury and death. We need to engage in thoughtful public discussion over the current alcohol policy at Georgetown.
Fortunately, the Disciplinary Review Committee, the body responsible for evaluating policy changes with regards to student affairs, is reviewing the FRIENDS Initiative’s proposed revisions to the current alcohol policy. Unfortunately, the proposals have some major short-comings.
From the perspective of Residence Life, these short-comings are a no-brainer. FRIENDS proposes to eliminate the designation of “alcohol free residential housing.” This change would, according to FRIENDS, remove two sanctions: “being in the presence of alcohol,” and possessing “all containers that previously contained alcoholic beverages.” Couple these actions with the designation of dormitories, enclosed apartment stairwells and Village A Rooftop as “private areas” where legal alcohol consumption is allowed and you get an environment that makes it easier for minors to get away with underage drinking and more difficult for resident assistants to do their job.
The role of an RA is not to police, but to foster a healthy community RAs need clear guidelines to consistently administer appropriate penalties and assuage an “us against them” mentality. However, the term “possession of alcohol” is ill-defined in the FRIENDS policy and would require a great deal of discretion by RAs. The current sanctions help RAs avoid having to make judgments that residents may perceive as being vindictive or unfair. The FRIENDS proposals have the potential to sharpen divisions between students and RAs.
Despite its stated goal to “reduce harm and to create a safe and vibrant community while respecting and following local laws,” the FRIENDS proposal fails to show how making it easier for students to drink fosters a healthier environment. Former Vice President of Student Affairs Juan Gonzales attributed the majority of alcohol-related problems to a small minority on this campus. For the most part, the proposed changes do not encourage that minority to grow up.
