The policies on drinking may seem strict at Seton Hall compared to other schools, such as Rutgers --where it sometimes seems “party” and “campus” go hand in hand. This possibly is because we are a Catholic university, and administrators feel more responsible for students’ well being.
However, at some point, we must ask ourselves, when are we going to be allowed to make decisions on our own as able, thinking, young adults? Sure, Rutgers’ policies are not ideal, either. A 19-year-old student died at the university in September and it was ruled by authorities on Monday, Oct. 27 that her death was due to alcohol poisoning, according to The Star Ledger.
Of course underage drinking should not be condoned by any university. It is illegal and Seton Hall would get in serious trouble if drinking was so relaxed that 19 year olds were being arrested daily for underage drinking. In any case, why should juniors and seniors of age be regulated, as well?
News Copy Editor Emily Balan reported this week that students 21 years and older can have their alcohol confiscated if they did not “properly check-in what is identified as ‘personal consumption’ containers at the front desk, according to Jess Proano, assistant director for the First Year Experience in Housing and Residence Life.
Sure, if a 21-year-old student is handing out beers to underage students, have him or her arrested or subject to university disciplinary actions, because that is obviously illegal. If a 21-year-old decided to have a few beers after class in his or her dorm and forgot to tell Housing and Residence Life, why should he or she be punished?
It does not quite make sense that something that is legal by federal law is considered illegal by the University. University administrators may see themselves as looking out for someone’s safety or regulating how much drinking goes on in a dorm, but the fact of the matter is, it is not really up to the University to tell legal adults how much to consume or when they should be drinking.
At some point, the University needs to let go and realize that adults cannot be monitored or protected for the rest of their lives. All the parents who let their children attend university surely had this same realization at some point. As long as we are not doing anything illegal or harming anyone else, let us live our lives.
