2008 Woodie Awards
Letter to the Editor
A Response to "Zero Tolerance"
Joseph Stovall
Issue date: 9/27/06 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
This is a response to President Gibralter's "New Policy Concerning Alcohol Abuse" from the September 13th issue of the Bottom Line. While I applaud the President for addressing this serious issue, portions of his message deeply concerned me and others in the FSU community.
Alcohol abuse is not a new phenomenon, and recently we've been painfully reminded of this fact. For those who are unaware, early in September there was an incident outside an off campus house in which an FSU student (apparently under the influence of alcohol) pushed a 45-year-old local man. The man fell, hit his head on the pavement, and was hospitalized in critical condition. Although this is a tragic incident, we should learn the whole story before we haphazardly make drastic changes to FSU policy.
This situation and others prompted President Gibralter to address the issue and announce a new "zero tolerance" policy, under which violators on and off campus will be subject to the University judicial process and be granted "no leniency." While I was pondering this whole ordeal many questions raced through mind. Why was the man assaulted? Was there a previous altercation between him and the student? How intoxicated was the student? These and other questions need to be addressed in a rational, logical way before the University starts harpooning responsible student drinkers with buzzwords like "zero tolerance". What exactly is zero tolerance anyway? Does it mean there will be an army of state troopers patrolling our streets like there has been recently? Does it mean that the freshman who gets caught with a beer is going to get suspended? I fail to see how this new policy is going to solve the problem. The problem is not alcohol; the problem is students who drink irresponsibly. And no stern proclamations or buzzwords are going to fix that.
My final question is, do the actions of one or a few irresponsible students give the University a license to slam its gavel down on all students who drink alcohol? I say no. And my "no" becomes fierce when I'm off campus. Personally, I don't think the University has any right to question me about what I do off campus, let alone judge me. If I'm on-campus and I violate the alcohol policy, FSU has every right to punish me. But if I'm drinking at my house off campus and I walk across the street to my neighbor's with a beer in my hand and "Johnny Good Cop" protects and serves me with an alcohol citation then that's my business-not my RA's, or my professor's, or President Gibralter's, or FSU's. And I resent the University paternally monitoring me like I'm a child. I pay my tuition, I go to class, and I make the grades. When I'm on campus, FSU is in charge. But, except in a few rare cases, what I do when I step off campus is my business and FSU has no place telling me otherwise.
Alcohol abuse is not a new phenomenon, and recently we've been painfully reminded of this fact. For those who are unaware, early in September there was an incident outside an off campus house in which an FSU student (apparently under the influence of alcohol) pushed a 45-year-old local man. The man fell, hit his head on the pavement, and was hospitalized in critical condition. Although this is a tragic incident, we should learn the whole story before we haphazardly make drastic changes to FSU policy.
This situation and others prompted President Gibralter to address the issue and announce a new "zero tolerance" policy, under which violators on and off campus will be subject to the University judicial process and be granted "no leniency." While I was pondering this whole ordeal many questions raced through mind. Why was the man assaulted? Was there a previous altercation between him and the student? How intoxicated was the student? These and other questions need to be addressed in a rational, logical way before the University starts harpooning responsible student drinkers with buzzwords like "zero tolerance". What exactly is zero tolerance anyway? Does it mean there will be an army of state troopers patrolling our streets like there has been recently? Does it mean that the freshman who gets caught with a beer is going to get suspended? I fail to see how this new policy is going to solve the problem. The problem is not alcohol; the problem is students who drink irresponsibly. And no stern proclamations or buzzwords are going to fix that.
My final question is, do the actions of one or a few irresponsible students give the University a license to slam its gavel down on all students who drink alcohol? I say no. And my "no" becomes fierce when I'm off campus. Personally, I don't think the University has any right to question me about what I do off campus, let alone judge me. If I'm on-campus and I violate the alcohol policy, FSU has every right to punish me. But if I'm drinking at my house off campus and I walk across the street to my neighbor's with a beer in my hand and "Johnny Good Cop" protects and serves me with an alcohol citation then that's my business-not my RA's, or my professor's, or President Gibralter's, or FSU's. And I resent the University paternally monitoring me like I'm a child. I pay my tuition, I go to class, and I make the grades. When I'm on campus, FSU is in charge. But, except in a few rare cases, what I do when I step off campus is my business and FSU has no place telling me otherwise.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jt
posted 9/26/06 @ 8:57 PM EST
Dr. Gilbralter's "zero" tolerance party is the direct result of Frostburg's history and social makeup of the student body. Yes if you haven't heard by now Frostburg has been branded "Party School. (Continued…)
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