Members of Residence Life and a few students discussed changes proposed to Georgetown’s alcohol policy at a town hall meeting Wednesday in Sellinger Lounge.
The lack of a student presence, with the exception of resident assistants, was noticeable at the event, which was hosted by the Disciplinary Review Committee. Nevertheless, Mike Glick (CAS 05) and Katie Boogaard (CAS 04), members of the FRIENDS initiative, presented the case to change the current policy.
Their plan attempts to adhere to the law that no one under 21 may drink, while accepting that most students do. They hope to eliminate dry dorms so that residents of legal age can drink in their rooms.
They also want to abolish the rule that punishes anyone in the presence of alcohol or a container that previously contained alcohol. They say these measures would allow a larger but more controlled drinking presence on campus.
RAs, however, say the policy creates a conflict between their role as both a regulator and a friend to their residents. Eliminating dry dorms forces RAs to judge which students are in violation of the alcohol policy and which are innocent onlookers, rather than simply refer to one clear rule.
The attendees did agree that the current rule on party registration is unreasonable. Currently, in order to have a party, a student must register with the Office of Residence Life by the Wednesday before the party.
The committee indicated that the RAs’ comments on their own drinking and debauchery, while they may have been a bit embarrassing, were helpful.
With this proposal, FRIENDS hopes to encourage greater student socialization on campus, create a more coherent and comprehensible policy and promote better student responsibility and a more respectful environment on campus. However, the panel’s inability to answer the numerous questions suggested that, as Boogard said, “everything is still getting worked out.”
Director of Student Conduct Judy Johnson said, however, that the DRC is serious in their efforts to revise the current policy according to the proposed changes by FRIENDS.
Jeanne Lord, the Interim Associate Vice president for Student Affairs, said the purpose of the meeting was to “look with a fresh eye at policies and practices in place.”
The FRIENDS initiative was created over two years ago. The group is committed to building a vibrant and safe community, to reducing harm, especially harm associated with high-risk alcohol use and abuse, and increasing student ownership of that community.
