Students share concerns about Public Safety

Students expressed concerns about the relationship between students and Public Safety at the second Alcohol Coalition Committee (ACC) workshop on Friday.

The workshop, entitled “Structures That Affect High-Risk Drinking,” was held in Wu Dining Hall with about hundred student, staff, faculty and community members in attendance, many of whom filtered in and out during the four-hour event.

“I think from all indications the workshop went really well ... everyone there seemed really engaged in the conversation,” Public Safety director and co-chair for Friday’s workshop Steven Healy said.

The workshop opened with a lecture given by Linda Langford, associate center director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention. “Princeton is on track with their process: involving all the stakeholders ... getting feedback,” Langford said.

Two breakout sessions followed, where participants focused on how one of three issues — affiliations, town-gown relationships and the academic calendar — affects high-risk drinking.

At one small group session, several eating club members said the clubs have tried to implement measures against high-risk drinking, such as providing wristbands to identify students of legal drinking age and only serving beer to students with wristbands. They also pointed out that no hard alcohol is served at the clubs.

Participants also complained about the relationship between the University and fraternities. A fraternity member noted that fraternities feel persecuted on campus.

In another small group, students highlighted confusion over Public Safety and McCosh Health Center’s alcohol policies. Students questioned when they could call Public Safety to transport intoxicated friends without attracting legal attention. There was also concern about when Public Safety has the authority to enter a student’s room under suspicion of illegal alcohol consumption.

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“I thought some of the most important points were about students’ perceptions of University policies ... [which] underscores the crucialness of having transparency,” Lauren Barnett ’08 said.

Upon completion of the small group meetings, the groups presented their most important points. Suggestions included improving the relationship between students and Public Safety officers through meetings during freshman week, decreasing the significance of reading period as a high-risk drinking period by moving it to before winter break and having student leaders to educate students about alcohol use.

Students also argued for changes to the policy that states that parties with alcohol cannot have underage students in attendance, noting that underage students should be able to go to parties where alcohol is served as long as they do not drink at the party. Others also proposed offering University-funded events with alcohol for legal drinkers.Students differentiated between the dangers implicit in high-risk drinking and moderate drinking.

There will be one more workshop next Friday, which will address “Responsibilities Regarding High-Risk Drinking.” The information gathered at the three ACC workshops will be used to help the ACC develop a strategic plan to address high-risk drinking on campus. The plan will be presented in May.