Drinking persists even in substance-free housing

The reality of substance-free housing, however, is more complicated, students said.

Steve ’12 said that he ended up in substance-free housing as the result of a misunderstanding. Steve’s name, along with those of the other students interviewed for this article, has been changed to protect his privacy.

“I got in [a sub-free room] by accident,” he said. “I took [sub-free] to mean a smoking-free zone, and I didn’t smoke … I didn’t realize it meant alcohol.”

Steve moved out of substance-free housing earlier this year after learning the full implications of living in those housing zones.

“You’re not allowed to have any alcohol in a substance-free zone,” he said. “If you’re caught, it’s automatically nine months probation, I believe, so I never messed with that, but you are not allowed to come back intoxicated to the room, and I did that a couple times.”

His roommate alerted their RCA to the violation, Steve said. “I essentially got moved out,” he explained. “The kids sign up for [sub-free housing] for that purpose exactly — to get away from that kind of lifestyle.”

Incidents like Steve’s are uncommon, though, said Sarah ’10, who also lives in substance-free housing.

“I don’t think that [drinking in sub-free dorms] is a problem,” Sarah said. “Of course drinking goes on. It’s college. It’s ridiculous to think it doesn’t.” When drinking does happen, she noted, it is controlled.

“It is very subdued, and we are very, very respectful,” Sarah said of the times she drinks with friends. Her hallmates, she added, are “cool with it” and have not complained of undue noise.

Katie Pocalyko ’10, an RCA in substance-free Buyers Hall, said that for the most part, her “zees” abide by the University rules, but not always.

“It happens. Yes, people do drink in sub-free,” she said.

People who choose to live in substance-free areas know and accept this, Sarah said. “The understanding of people drawing into sub-free housing … is that ‘Sure, you can drink,’ but that other people who draw into [sub-free housing] may, in fact, not drink, so it is appropriate to keep your things quiet,” she explained.

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Pocalyko also noted that many students choose to live in substance-free housing for reasons other than the prohibitions. “It is a living choice,” she said. “I made the choice to live in sub-free my sophomore year … To me, it was mostly a quiet thing, that I didn’t want to be living where I might have to deal with parties on Thursdays if I was doing homework.”

Sean ’11 said there is a stark contrast between the environments of substance-free halls and those that are not substance-free. After coming back to his substance-free room drunk last year and upsetting his roommate, Sean no longer lives in substance-free housing, he said, though he still lives with the same roommate.

“It’s a lot different,” Sean added about his time in a substance-free dorm. “It’s more quiet.”

Pocalyko noted that the reduced noise is one of the perks to living in substance-free housing. “Bathrooms are cleaner, it is quieter, there is less traffic and you don’t have the culture of drinking,” she said.

This renders substance-free housing “more conducive to a community,” she explained. “It’s not because sub-free kids don’t party … We have three quads [in Buyers] who get together for board games and movies. They are making friends and having get-togethers, just [choosing not] to do it in a situation with alcohol.” She added that she believed many of her freshman “zees” plan to live in substance-free housing again next year.