Getcheroxoff our university's public party policy
It was recently announced that Lovett College's famed Getcheroxoff party will feature several changes this year, geared toward upping security and preventing unwanted disturbances from the party (see story, page 10). The Thresher applauds the college for preemptively taking measures to ensure the safety of the student body. Concerns for campus security should always be placed at the forefront of decision-making.However, because the changes are so different from Rice's established public party structure, the campus rumor mill has been spreading a misconceived notion that paints an improper
picture of student leadership. Many claims have been made that Lovett was threatened by administration officials or RUPD if changes were not made to the format of the party. However, rather than waiting for the university to tell them what to do, these decisions were preemptively made by Lovett's student government. Claims to the contrary spread fear throughout campus of a big brother administration that directs the social activities of the student body, rather than the students themselves.
If students feel that changes are not needed to a party's structure, they should assert their independence by acting with intelligence and responsibility when attending colleges' public parties. On the other hand, if they feel that changes need to be made, clear reasoning should be put forth as to why the alterations are necessary and how the proposed changes fit the specific needs of the college. Otherwise, vague stories will float around campus, and as a result, responsibility will drift from one person to the next, based on convenience rather than fact.
College officials should understand that large, visible changes to public events create rippling effects throughout the campus. Their influence reaches far beyond their immediate surroundings, and as a result, reasoning behind decisions should be presented confidently and coherently, based on fact, as opposed to rumor mills.
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