Your April 9 editorial suggests that the College’s policies related to underage drinking are impeding the cam-
pus social scene and forcing students to leave the campus in search of “fun.”
I find it unfortunate that the authors of this editorial appear to equate fun with drinking, and specifically underage drinking. The legal drinking age in Connecticut is 21, and the College’s policies must be in line with the law. The College operates a campus bar to provide students who are 21 with a safe place to drink; we cannot and will not support drinking by underage students.
Conn’s sense of community is built on the strong foundation of a residential academic experience in which people live and learn and grow together over four years. It is not – and should not – be dependent on people drinking together. The College provides many opportunities for students to gather socially in an effort to foster a fun and creative campus environment for all students. In addition to regular SAC-planned events and the hun-dreds of events planned by campus clubs, new initiatives have been launched to increase Thursday night and weekend programming and the College has created new venues for late-night student gatherings, including Ruane’s Den, Coffee Grounds and a refurbished Cro’s Nest. College-sponsored social events just this year have included acoustic music performances, hypnotists, a magician, indoor laser tag, themed bingo nights, belly dancing lessons, film screenings, game shows, a live Blues concert, a “Battle of the Bands” contest, spoken word performances and much more.
We remain committed to working with students to make the campus social scene as fun as possible, and we are open to all ideas and suggestions that do not involve
the support of underage drinking.
Sincerely,
Armando Bengochea
Dean of the College
The Honorable Louis B. Susman will be speaking at this year’s Commencement, and I personally am looking forward to his remarks. In my junior year at Connecticut College, I was honored to serve on the Commencement Speaker Selection Committee along with several other members of the Class of 2009 and some faculty and staff. The selection process is structured so that the entire class has several opportunities to suggest and comment on proposed speakers. This unique structure is a prime example of shared governance at its best, where students, faculty and staff truly collaborate to collectively make a set of strategic recommendations to the President. Becoming involved in the selection process by providing input early on is crucial for the committee’s success, guaranteeing students a voice – one that is strong, equal and invaluable – at the table. Early input is also necessary because Commencement-caliber speakers have schedules that are planned far in advance.
Serving as Class President my junior year, and representing my peers and classmates on the Selection Committee (as Co-Chair), was without a doubt one of the year’s highlights. To be able to communicate with my class and receive a response was both encouraging and rewarding, and led to a more unified class upon graduation.
We are privileged to have a commencement speaker selection process that allows for student involvement and input, so please take advantage of it. For more information, contact your class president or Bonnie Wells, Secretary of the College.
Best,
Harris Rosenheim ’09
Young Alumni Trustee
Kudos and congratulations to the nine students who organized the college’s first TEDx event on April 14, 2012, in Evans Hall. It was hands down one of the best events I have attended in my 13 years at the college, and I was thrilled to see students put together such an intellectually stimulating, wide-reaching discussion. One of my favorite things about this college is that you can realize almost any good idea and bring it to life. I hope that more students and faculty will follow the lead of these students and continue the rich and thoughtful discussion that took place this past Saturday.
With thanks for a great day and an excellent event,
Andrea Lanoux, Associate Professor and
Chair, Department of Slavic Studies
