No R.A. In Sight

Life in residence halls doesn't deter underage drinking

Ask any college student to name some of the activities in which they like to partake for fun around campus, and it's a pretty good bet that drinking will appear on the list.

And there's nothing wrong with that ... as long as the drinking is done by responsible adults at least 21 years of age.

But a large percentage of the drinking on the University campus (as well as on other college campuses) is done by underclassmen who are not old enough to legally drink ... many of whom live in residence halls where alcohol is not permitted.

Despite clear rules against consumption of alcohol in the residence halls, drinking there is a favorite pastime of many underclassmen.

"By the end of last year there was a party in my hall close to every night," said LSA sophomore Mike Schmick. "Most nights I didn't even go out to drink because it was so much fun to party on my hall with my friends."

Partying in the residence halls sounds like a good idea, but what about the risk of getting caught?

"I never worried about getting caught," said Schmick. "As long as you don't act like a drunk idiot you won't get in trouble."

He's right, apparently. According to Don Appiarius, one of the University's four directors of resident education, the University isn't out to severely punish anyone for drinking in the residence halls.

"Our philosophy is that everyone under 21 needs to know what responsible drinking is," said Appiarius. "We try not to be ostriches and put our heads in the sand and think that all of a sudden when you turn the magical number of 21 you'll start drinking and know how to do so responsibly.

"We want to teach students how to drink in a responsible, healthy manner rather than punish them," he said.

DANA LINNANE/Daily A group of grinning students proudly display their favorite drinks as they relax in a residence hall. Most students who live in University housing say that as long as they're not loud or destructive, they can usually drink in their rooms without being punished.

And you have to break the rules rather severely to be strongly punished. Punishment for most first-time offenders is just the confiscation of their liquor.

"Because of state law we have to take some approach, so we do remove all the alcohol from the room," said Appiarius.

Fair enough. But if students are found drinking in the residence halls more than once, they could be in more serious trouble.

"Subsequent violations are treated much more seriously," said Appiarius. "The situation will also be handled differently if you're having a block party on your floor than if you're just sipping a beer."

Student experiences support Appiarius's explanations of University policies.

"I got caught drinking in the dorms twice my freshman year," said an LSA junior who wished to remain anonymous. "The first time nothing happened and they were cool because there were only a few of us sitting around drinking quietly.

"But the second time we were being loud and obnoxious so they weren't so nice. I had to spend a week working in the cafeteria as a punishment."

Due to varied demographics in the residence halls, students are caught drinking in some residence halls more than others.

There are higher incidences of students found illegally drinking alcohol in residence halls such as Markley, where almost everyone is a first-year student.

"Residence halls such as Baits, Oxford and certain houses in West Quad are almost all upperclassmen," said Appiarius. "So it is ok for them to drink responsibly in their halls."

The bottom line is that any residence hall can be a safe place to drink as long as you're careful.

Appiarius said approximately 1,000 students are on record for drinking illegally in the residence halls last year, 300 of which were repeat offenses.

If you're still unsure about how to drink responsibly in the residence halls, just follow these three simple rules, compiled from the advice of former residents, many of whom learned the hard way:

1. Be quiet. If you and your friends are screaming and blasting Puff Daddy all the way down the hall, you're inviting an R.A. to pay your room a visit.

2. Keep your door shut. You don't want an R.A. to walk by an open door when you have a room full of liquor. And if you're blasting Puff Daddy, the R.A. down the hall is less likely to hear it if you just close your door. So this step can also attribute to step 1.

3. Don't have massive amounts of alcohol or people in your room.

09-17-98