The Truth About the Universities’ Updated Policies

It seems to me that this University is constantly taking away rights and liberties from its ordinary students. The most recent offense comes in the form of the students’ ability to enjoy their legal right to alcohol consumption and their right to assemble in a place where alcohol is present. For those who do not know, the University recently sent out their updated policies for those students who live on campus. Where once students who were over the age of 21 were able to possess a comfortable amount of alcoholic beverages within their dorms and apartments on campus. Now students are limited to having only 15 beers, one pint of hard alcohol, or 1.5 liters of wine. These numbers also include any empty alcoholic container that may reside in the living space, and to my knowledge this includes those that in the trash or being collected for recycling. This is a reduction of more than 50 percent of the previous limit students were allowed on campus. I am not saying that the new limit on alcohol beverages is insufficient for the average person of age on campus. On the contrary, the allowed amount is by far more than enough for a single person in a single evening or several. However, I am severely irritated that this University took it upon itself to reduce the allotted amount seemingly out of nowhere, in the middle of the second semester. As to my knowledge, SGA was not included in the discussion that led to this decision; so much for having representation on campus. Also, I contacted those responsible for this decision a week ago without receiving a response. Other policies were among the email sent out to those living in the Village and the dorms include a prohibition on “large gatherings or events where alcohol is present,” as well as “live music…in the Village at any time.” What is considered to be a large gathering is not defined in these policies making it quite easy for the school to prosecute students who are casually having a few drinks during a club, group, or any other organizational meeting. From the wording of these policies, it would seem that even if empty containers are present, with there being no evidence it was consumed during any recent time frame, is evidence of alcohol being present during a “large gathering.” As for the policy pertaining to live music, we have a school here specifically dedicated to the education of live music. This may have been written with West Hartford’s noise level policies, attempting to avoid the use of speakers or PA systems within the Village. However, that would be covered under the policy prohibiting speakers to be outside or aimed out the windows. This makes it so a student may be written up for simply playing a light instrument in their apartment, or signing a song. Again, the head of student conduct was emailed regarding the concerns I have with these policies and there was no response. I was more than willing to have that point of view present in this article. However, all I can express is my outrage that the school has made it possible for students to be written up for doing anything it seems other than sitting quietly, immobile while they are within their apartments or dorms. There are other policies with which I have serious concerns. However, I do not have space to address all of them. You can view these policies to educate yourselves by going onto hartford.edu or asking your RA.