More in today’s Spec about how the Administration is ruining our campus for its own good. Reasons for shifting the school’s alcohol philosophy from reasonable, Dartmouth-style laissez-faire to Carrie Nation-like pro-temperance hysteria include:
According to Director of Residential Programs Cristen Scully Kromm, these changes in policy enforcement are the result of a 2006 change in leadership in the Office of Residential Programs. “As a result of these changes, the role of an RA was adjusted and enhanced to focus on community building,” Scully Kromm wrote in an e-mail. “Developing and maintaining a respectful community is challenging, and RAs are often called upon to address disputes such as noise violations and vandalism.”
And:
“It is our experience that community residents are best at monitoring themselves and establishing an environment of civility and mutual respect,” Kromm wrote in an e-mail. “However, when gatherings conflict with our community principles, the Residential Programs staff must intervene.”
It isn’t worth pointing out that the War on Fun has actually hurt community building, since arguing this on the administration’s terms concedes that there’s even a link between drinking and community buidling, respect, etc. The logic whereby there is such a link is slightly disturbing as well as extremely paternalistic: Columbia will not only punish you on the flimsiest of pretenses, but argue that they’re looking out for you in the process. Even ignoring what this does to the concept of “civility,” ”mutual respect” and “community building” around here, this is an Orwellian turn for an already super-Orwellian War on Fun. Which makes it all the more vital that our student leaders put a stop to it.
There’s one way to make the University allow more drinking. Have everyone’s parents sign a waiver that they won’t sue the school if their precious little darlings get hurt/injured/killed/abused in an alcohol-related incident on campus.
So long as the parents of the 18-22 year old set see the University acting in loco parentis, there will be a problem. Remove any University liability for student actions - and you’ll be allowed to drink more.
Said alumnus,
On October 9, 2008 at 7:32 am:
Alumnus is absolutely right.
The ONLY reason that ResPrograms exists is to shield the University at large from liability in the event of students harming themselves or others. It allows the university to claim that they had a “support system” in place. They don’t care about community, they don’t care about civility, they don’t care about anything but making the lives of the people with offices on the 5th floor of Lerner easier and saving as much face as possible.
The sooner you accept this, you more able you will be to deal with them.
Said an RA Scorned,
On October 9, 2008 at 11:27 am: