This semester, the residence halls have adopted and enforced a new alcohol policy. This new policy expands on the former by prohibiting the display of any alcoholic beverages container in an individual’s room, regardless of the resident’s age and despite the fact that the container might be empty. This new rule resulted in a write-up I received recently, but there’s more to the story.

Here’s the situation: It’s shortly after 11 p.m., and a few friends are in my room playing video games. My roommate is about to leave the room, and as he opens the door, two resident assistants walk by while on their rounds. They look inside my room as they pass by, notice an empty beer bottle sitting on a desk and ask me to step outside. They inform me that I violated the open alcohol policy and tell me to expect paperwork.

There was no noise traveling out into the hallway from my room, and if nobody was going in or out of my room at that particular time, chances are the RAs would have walked right by and continued on their rounds. The bottom line here is although I’m of legal drinking age and I wasn’t actually seen consuming alcohol, I received a write-up as a victim of coincidence.

As a Douglas Hall resident who is over 21 years old, I think this new alcohol policy is absolutely ludicrous. I can understand limiting alcohol consumption to being of age and remaining behind closed doors, but I shouldn’t have to scramble around and hide my empties every time my door is opened on the off-chance an RA or senior staff member might be passing by. I’m a responsible adult, and I shouldn’t have to resort to hiding from the RAs.

Furthermore, I understand the RAs have a job to do, but the gestapo tactics some of them are using to enforce this ridiculous policy are getting out of hand.

Raymond C. Ruether

Senior

Journalism