Res Ed orders Stanford Row dry for week
 

Res Ed orders Stanford Row dry for week

By Brendan Selby
Contributing Writer
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
last updated September 22, 2004 7:06 PM

It is typical for many upperclassmen to celebrate their return to campus by reuniting with their friends over rounds of quarters or beer pong in dorm lounges.

But this year, students living on the Row cannot check into their residences unless they sign a document that prohibits them from “hosting any formal or informal house gathering where alcohol is served or providing alcohol to any new student.”

Violating the New Student Orientation alcohol policy can lead to “the loss of housing privileges and put at risk the social host privileges for my house.”

Upon hearing of the policy during a Row staff retreat, a group of 21 resident advisors sent a letter last Thursday addressed to Director of Residential Education Jane Camarillo to protest the manner in which the NSO alcohol policy is being enforced. University President John Hennessy and The Daily also received copies.

The RAs argued that the policy unfairly “shifts the burden” of accountability from freshmen and onto upperclassmen living on the Row.

“As RAs, we are frustrated by the prospect that our first responsibility will be to enforce a poorly drawn policy sure to alienate our residents. Further, we don’t relish our potential role as temperance police for the freshman class,” they wrote.

They suggested closing upper-class houses to freshmen and instituting a freshman curfew as two alternative solutions to the problem of drinking during Orientation.

Camarillo issued a written response to the RAs defending the new policy while offering to include student staff in future discussions related to the University’s alcohol policy. She cited, as examples of the dangers of abusive drinking, the recent death of a Colorado State freshman by alcohol poisoning and an incident at Stanford last week involving an inebriated upperclassman who fell 12 feet from a railing.

“Abusive use of alcohol is a fact on college campuses and our charge is to restore safer environments by discouraging in every possible way abusive or illegal drinking,” she wrote.

Her letter did not address specifically the contention made by the RAs that the policy would force upperclassmen to drink in less well-monitored environments during Orientation week, such as in their rooms.

“A certain fraction of students want to drink when they come back,” said Sigma Alpha Epsilon RA Luppe Luppen. “This policy will not stop them, it is just going to move them to different places.”

Nonetheless, Luppen and other RAs believe their stance on freshman drinking is actually very close to that of Residential Education.

“We agree that freshmen are in a difficult position during the first week because it is a new environment, and that they will have a diminished ability to drink a responsible amount,” Luppen said. “We just think that what they’re doing is shifting the primary responsibility for this onto residents of the Row, and that’s unfair.”

they can make the rules
 

I guess if the private univ. owns/controls your house, they can make the rules.

Another good lesson - a quick solution to housing problems, can lead to terrible rules/control later.

Not that I think booze is good in chapters.

Just to clarify what they mean in the article, the Stanford Row is not all greek. In fact, at this moment, only 10 houses are actually greek. The rest of the 33 houses are theme dorms, co-ops, or regular student housing.
Freshman Orientation being dry is nothing new. It's just new wording for the same age-old policy that Stanford has had in the past. I am guessing the new wording is a direct result of Stanford's inability to keep the campus 'dry' for the period they desire.
I agree that the wording of the policy probably isn't good, but Stanford's been shifting blame of underage drinkers steadily since President Hennessey was inagurated and his son started college. They have also been cracking down on everyone on every infraction since the new police chief was hired - from MIPs to lack of bike lights. There might not be a connection with the campus administrators having kids in college at Stanford, but from a recent alumna's perpective, it sure seemed like it while I was a student.
Once these kids are out of college, the attitude of the campus may change. Or someone needs to re-hire Gerhard Casper.

Great post! As an older alum, I am amazed and disappointed at the way Stanford has changed over the last twenty years regarding greek life. While the sororities were not housed while I was there, there were at least 13 housed fraternities (Alpha Delts, Dekes, DU's, Delta Tau Delta, Phi Delts, Theta Delts, KA's, Kappa Sigs, Betas, Sigma Chi's, SAE's, Theta Zi's, and Zeta Psi), with Phi Kappa Psi, Sig Eps and Sigma Alpha Mu unhoused. This, coupled with the six sororities (Pi Phi, KKG, Thetas, DG's, Tri Delts, and Alpha Phi), led to a pretty fun greek life. I didn't even include the NPHC fraternities and sororites (Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, and Alpha Kappa Alpha). After Don Kennedy left as president, the university really cracked down and started booting off houses (some were for legitimate reasons like they were not making quota), but others for minor infractions. Long story short, once you lose your house-kiss it goodbye because there is NO WAY the university will give it back to you unless you do some SERIOUS butt-kissing (or maybe have a really wealthy alum donate a couple hunderd million with the stipulation that part of the money has to go to building a new greek house).

Now, Stanford will never be compared to a state school in terms of greek life-most students there are not interested in joining as there are so many other housing options, but prohibiting freshmen from drinking the first week at the fraternities (because basically this was meant for the fraternities and sororites), is really short sighted, and it does put the upperclassmen in a bad position.

Poor SAE's-the best part of freshmen orientation was always the Friday night beer fest at the SAE house...the trick was to spot the high schoolers from Paly (Palo Alto High School, which is right across from campus), trying to sneak in and get drunk...
:D

Oh well, I must leave now to go down to Palo Alto to see Stanford get killed by USC in football (Damn, I HATE those Trojans!!!). Hopefully we can keep it somewhat competitive! ;)

phikappapsiman - your post dates you! My chapter was re-chartered in 1991 :) DG closed right before I went to school :(

to add to the above posts- only one fraternity owns their house. The rest are University property and "rented".


Go Cardinal!

ps- gotta love Gerhard!

Yeah, I know! I am an old man now! :( Just got back from the Stanford-USC game, and when I heard that it was orientation for the Class of 2008, I thought, wow...where does the time go??? Sigma Chi owns their house, and the university has tried to get them to sell it back by saying that it needs a lot of work, but when some of your members include Tiger Woods and the Savage guy from "Boy Meets World" (is his name Corey or Ben???), then I guess you can find ways of coming up with the money for repairs!!!

I see that Chi Omega is there now. How are they doing? I know that it was hard for sororities if you were not a part of the "Big Three" ( Pi Phi, Kappa or Theta), but the Tri-Delts seem to be doing well. I loved the DG's-they were just really super women and Anchor Splash was always fun.:)

I may sound outdated by saying this, but why not go to the bars and drink with your friends. It's legal and you are safe from any procuring statutues. Plus, alcohol in the house really makes the place smell. I can see why the university would want to reduce their risk by doing such a thing, but I also think the fraternities should also take initiative and reduce risks as much as possible.

because bars are hella more expensive than getting a six-pack. It's bad here, I can't imagine the difference in Cali.

duh.

I guess this isn't very clear: Most of the Row is not greek. Only a few houses are. This is like a university telling the dorms to be dry.