The dangers of a crackdown on fun

I enjoyed my social life as freshman at this University immensely. I looked forward to every weekend as an opportunity to enjoy the peak of my life and take a break from the rigor of the Tufts academic environment. However, this year, my sophomore year, each weekend brings more boredom, and subsequently, anger and frustration. The University's stiffer and stricter attitude towards alcohol, social life, and the Greek System has turned a campus which once entertained a vibrant social life into a campus which sends its students elsewhere to find entertainment.

First, a premise: Drinking is inevitable on a college campus. College-aged students, as most adults, want the option of alcohol at their social events. Now, I am not suggesting that the University condone underage drinking -- it is illegal. However, the new policy regarding consequences for being caught with alcohol only exacerbates the dangers of drinking. How? Whereas in the past a Resident Assistant (RA) had the option of using his or her own discretion when deciding how to deal with resident drinking, he or she now must submit the names of the resident in violation to the Office of Residential Life & Learning.

The University argues that this is, in fact, a liberalization of the previous policy, as no probation will result for a minor first offense. However, the fact is that in the mind of the student, there is very little difference between being "written up" and having one's name "written down." Consequently, giving less choice to the RA's has now pushed drinking, which is inevitable, further behind closed doors and into secrecy. How much safer is the University's policy making the lives of students if it forces them to fear their RAs who could aid them in the event of an alcohol emergency?

And, while on the topic of RAs, does the University not understand the importance of the relationship between an RA and his or her residents? The RA is a resident's first contact in the event of a crisis or emergency. Yet, the policy forcing RAs to submit written documentation of all residential violations creates a rift between resident and RA. How can a resident find trust and seek aid from a person who is now required by the University to be a disciplinarian?

Secondly, the administration, though it denies such a fact, is cracking down hard on the Greek system -- for even minor offenses -- and this affects us all, not just Greek members. The Greek system and its fraternities have always been forums for social events for underclassmen. Yet the University, under the leadership of Dean of Judicial affairs Veronica Carter, has placed a number of such forums on social probation. This means that such fraternities can no longer offer social life to the campus in the form of parties and gatherings -- with or without the presence of alcohol. The effects of this are dangerous.

Whereas students could once find the parties and gatherings they desired by walking down to Professors Row, they are now forced off-campus to upperclassmen's houses and to other universities. Does the University not see the problem with such a result? Forcing students off campus to seek the parties which they desire removes them from the safety of the Tufts campus where they can be protected by the Tufts community and the Tufts University Police Department. Tufts has no jurisdiction off university property. Would the University prefer to have students who have been drinking on campus, under its supervision, or drunken students wandering the streets of Medford and Somerville at night!?

Moreover, does the University prefer students walking back to their dorms from on campus locations after a gathering, or drunken students piling into a car at 3 a.m. and driving back? Furthermore, Greek events provided a central location at which students could gather. Having a majority of students in one location makes the job of ensuring their safety much easier. Yet, with students breaking up into groups and traveling off campus, it has now become much more difficult and impractical to protect their safety.

It would be unfair of me not to state that the Greek system has made some mistakes which have required disciplinary action. However, the University is aggressively hunting for any offense for which to shut-down a fraternity or slap it on probation. Do all offenses warrant the same disciplinary action? Do the events which left one fraternity's brother in the hospital warrant the same probation for another, whose graduating seniors, all of whom were of legal drinking age, had kegs during senior week (and not during the regular academic year)?

Looking at the present state of the Greek system, with so many houses on probation for offenses of differing severity, it is clear that the University would express no regret should the Greek System dissolve away. Furthermore, the probation imposed on many of the Greek system's members portrays an image of a disorganized, dilapidated association to incoming students. This decreases interest in the system, and subsequently decreases new membership, and will eventually cause the closure of Greek houses due to lack of membership. Thus, while the administration may not be directly closing Greek houses, it is indeed spraying a weed killer, and indirectly establishing their downfall.

In addition, the probation imposed on many Greek houses hurts the morale of many Greek members. Greek houses on this campus do more than throw social events. Many houses are active in supporting community service. Last year, Delts sent brothers to Somerville schools through the "adopt a school" program. It also held a booth at Hillel's "Read by the River" -- an event sponsored by Alpha Epsilon Pi. Yet, with brothers concerned about the future of their own organizations at Tufts, such giving to the community is likely to become a secondary issue.

Finally, the morale of the University's students is being hurt by this crackdown on social life. What relief from the academic rigors of the week can the student look forward to if the University closes down traditional forums for weekend social gatherings and breaks up the remaining ones at 12:30 a.m.? Students are bored and frustrated on the weekends.

The University needs to revise and relax its new policies. This crackdown on traditional social life has created more dangers than it has reduced. Moreover, such a lack of social life on campus is certain to frustrate underclassmen and, eventually, decrease the University's student retention rate considerably. This is not MIT, Mr. Bacow. This is Tufts.

Jonathan Alpert is a sophomore who has not declared a major.