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By Ron Birnkrant
There has been much discussion in the past couple months about whether alcohol and drug violations should be classified under the Honor Code or college policy. To me, this is an issue of mere semantics and is not all that important. What is of importance is the climate of fear perpetuated by Campus Safety’s enforcement of the college’s policies. The Student Bill of Rights entitles students to “an environment in which the college takes reasonable measures to offer students protection from foreseeable danger” (Student Bill of Rights, Article 7, page 9). The administration and Campus Safety have failed the student body in this respect.
Frequently, students who are caught smoking marijuana receive multiple charges, including creating dangerous or unhealthy conditions. Students smoke indoors out of fear of the potential consequences of being caught by Campus Safety officers. This in turn jeopardizes the welfare college property, and more importantly, everyone in that building. I propose that Campus Safety employ its discretion and simply confiscate marijuana being smoked outside of the dorms. This will help satisfy Article 7 of the Student Bill of Rights.
The college can no longer take a naïve stance on sunstance use. They must accept that students will smoke marijuana and engage in underage drinking. However, they can ensure that these substances are consumed responsibly. I am not advocating that the school rewrite the law: the sale and distribution of illegal drugs is a serious offense and should be adjudicated appropriately. I also think that if the college changes its policy, then creating dangerous and/or unhealthy conditions should be seen as a greater offense. Smoking indoors is unacceptable and should not be tolerated; it displays a lack of concern for the welfare of one’s peers.
Most Campus Safety officers instruct students who are carrying an open container of alcohol outdoors to dispose of their drink, regardless of whether they are of age or not. My proposal is analogous to the college’s current alcohol policy, and yet binge drinking continues to be a campus-wide problem. All college students are capable of drinking responsibly, but many do not. I would argue that a lack of transparency in the college’s directives to Campus Safety creates a climate of fear. Students are unwilling to roll the dice and carry alcohol between houses and parties. Instead, they choose to consume large amounts of alcohol in very short amounts of time to avoid encounters with Campus Safety officers. We do not want students only to feel safe in the confines of their room, because that will fail to teach students to drink responsibly in social settings.
This article is an invitation to the administration, staff, faculty and students to engage in a dialogue on how we can create a safe environment that teaches students how to act responsibly and maturely. We must employ a realist perspective and accept that many college students, regardless of age, drink alcohol and smoke marijuana. We must now figure out how we can promote a safe environment where students can engage in these activities responsibly. I am not asking the college to condone them, but to use its discretion in terms of enforcement.
Campus Safety officers are not police or law enforcement officers. Their objective is to promote a safe environment at the school. The choice to call them Campus Safety officers reiterates this distinction in itself. If the college would like to redefine their role, then campus safety officers should be held to the same high standards as police officers. Until then, college policies will continue to create friction between students and Campus Safety. Students will continue to be afraid of getting in trouble and this will lead to dangerous conditions for our peers. •
