1988-01-21

              January 21,1988

The Record

Page 3

Alcohol-free dorm likely for next year

Living option proposed to support those who choose drug free lifestyle

By MX Holscher

The existence of a drug and alcohol free dormitory on the SJU campus moved a step closer to reality earlier this month when a draft proposal calling " for such a living option was forwarded to Roman Paur, OSB, SJU vice president for student affairs. In a memo to Paur dated Jan. 7, the Residential Students and Issues Subcommittee of the Task Force for Project Involvement recommended that Greg House be available to students who choose a drug and alcohol free lifestyle.

'The monastic community of Saint John's Abbey makes available the SJU campus to its faculty and students for the pursuit of reflection and learning," the draft proposal said. 'The University recognizes the value and importance of this pivotal time in the lives of the young men who attend SJU. Within this context, the University recognizes the value of students choosing a drug and alcohol free lifestyle. In an effort to support the students who choose this life, the University offers a Drug and Alcohol Free Dormitory."

John McLaughlin, SJU Drug Education Coordinator and member of the subcommittee which made the proposal, \o\dTheRecord this week that the idea for an-alcohol and drug free living envi-,, ronment was one contained in an application which SJU made in May, 1987, for a national grant to administer a drug and alcohol education program. Over 400 colleges and universities applied for a Department of Education grant, 90 of which received money through the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE). SJU was notified Aug. 30 of last year that it would be given 551,000.

'The per capita amount of funding that SJU re-> ceived is really very high," said McLaughlin. "SJU was the only university to include an alcohol and drug free dormitory as part of its program. And many administrators have said that the reason SJU got the grant was because of the dorm."

The subcommittee recommended the establishment of the dormitory because it said the living option "changes behavior via positive reward rather than negative consequences." The draft proposal states that the dormitory "is a positive reward for those students choosing not to use drugs and alcohol in a society in which such a choice is often very difficult."

In addition, the subcommittee believes the dormitory would be a "bold and unprecedented statement of support for those choosing to be drug and alcohol free" and that such a statement of support could become a "positive recruiting tool for prospective students and parents."

McLaughlin said he does not view the living option as a "dormitory for all the good guys or role models." Rather, he sees it as an option available to anyone who would like to try the chemically free environment. "We don't want to take all of the guys who don't drink out of Mary, Tommy and Seton, because they are serving as good role models there," McLaughlin explained.

The draft proposal makes clear that students who would choose to 1 ive in the dormitory would agree to "choose a drug and alcohol free lifestyle not just _ a drug and alcohol free dormitory life." In other words, residents of the dormitory would be expected not to use or-possess drugs or alcohol during the school year, either on or off-campus.

"Students residing in the Drug and Alcohol Free Dormitory will be subject to the regular rules and disciplinary system of the University. In addition to those rule, students who violate rules unique to the drug and alcohol free dormitory will be subject to discipline from the (Resident Assistants) and (Faculty Resident) within the dorm...," the subcommittee's report proposed.

A controversial aspect of the program includes a proposal for the anonymous, random drug testing of residents to determine whether or not there has been alcohol or drug use. McLaughlin explained that he has been working with North Central Labs ' to develop a test program which, might include urine samples and "Midnight Breathalizers", but

no blood testing. 'The objective of the testing is to give some scientific validity to the program," said McLaughlin. "It will give numbers to those who want numbers. I tend to think that the subjective analysis of the program will be more helpful in evaluating the (one year) trial period."

"I want to say real clearly, though, that if drug testing is the obstacle, we will still have the dormitory," McLaughlin said. 'The true assessment of whether this program is beneficial will be in qualitative research, rather than quantitative."

Robert Kemmerling, SJU director of counseling and career services, said that drug testing will serve a valuable purpose in '^providing credibil-

Photo by Patrick Drelzehntcr

John McLaughlin

ity" to the dorm program. "We have to have some way of documenting the success or failure of the program quantitatively," Kemmerling said. But he added that he, too, believes subjective analysis will be more important.

Judy Karasch, SJU director of housing and student services, said she has "real mixed feelings" about the proposal for drug- testing. If SJU is going to establish an alcohol and drug free dorm, Karasch said she believes SJU has an obligation to "represent a true alcohol-free dorm and drug-.ssting is a way of doing that, but there's a lot of controversy about drug-testing now and its infringement on personal freedom."

Karasch also raised practical concerns about the dorm program, saying that, in the past, Greg House has been "prime housing" for upperclass-men in the housing lottery. She said she was concerned that some sophomores and juniors might sign up for the alcohol free dorm program simply to live in the 39-bed dormitory, a building which was renovated only a few years ago and is located in the center of campus. "That's why it's important to have a legitimate program," she said.

To some extent, McLaughlin would agree. "I think it is important that students know, before signing up for the dormitory, about the commitment they're making," he said. 'They need to know, before moving in, what the policy is...and what the enforcement procedures are."

The subcommittee's proposal contains the provision that those interested in the drug and alcohol free lifestyle would sign up between April 4th and April 15th, over two weeks before the annual housing lottery. McLaughlin explained that, should less than the 39 students needed to fill Greg House sign up for the program during that period, the program would be scrapped. But students who sign up during the designated time are not necessarily guaranteed a spot in the dormitory. "(Signing up) only makes the student eligible to select the Drug and Alcohol Free Dormitory in the housing lottery," the proposal states.

McLaughlin said he expects there to be ample interest in the program. A survey conducted late lastyear among nearly 250 SJU students indicated that almost 15 percent of those surveyed would be interested in living in an alcohol and drug free environment. Karasch said she would be surprised if the percentage were that high campus-wide. "Maybe we have a new kind of student who truly wants a drug free and alcohol free environ-

ment," she said. "But that sure hasn't been the case in the past. Our whole focus in the past few decades has been to allow drinking and to encourage responsibility.

"We need to support and reward those students who choose to abstain from alcohol and those students who choose to drink responsibly. Elitism in the form of preferential housing is not the answer."

Kemmerling said he thinks the true value of the program proposal is to draw attention to those students who do not use drugs and do not drink. 'The whole notion for the dormitory centers on the expectation here that everyone drinks and that everyone must drink," Kemmerling explained. "If we can draw attention to the fact that there are those who don't use drugs or alcohol, it might offer more options to others so that they might make better decisions regarding personal behavior." He added that the dormitory program would serve a "great symbolic purpose, namely that non-use is a good thing."

When asked whether he believed the alcohol free dormitory might become a refuge for those who are frightened by having to make decisions about alcohol, McLaughlin said, "It's possible they could use it as an excuse. But I'm not sure that's unhealthy." McLaughlin said the dormitory would be valuable for those who are recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. "It's a way of giving them support," he said.

While McLaughlin admitted that this program might well be a step away from the "Johnnie Tradition," which many contend includes the presence and use of alcohol, he insisted that it is time "to challenge our perceptions about drugs and alcohol."

"I believe there is such a thing as institutional enabling," McLaughlin said. "I think we need to begin to look at those things that this university is doing that could be considered institutional enabling, such as allowing students to use and abuse alcohol regularly, blatantly, and illegally...."

But Roman Paur, OSB, SJU vice president for student affairs, told The Recqrd this week that he does not consider the alcohol free dormitory a step away from "Johnnie Tradition."

He said, "As I understand it, the intent of (the program) is to encourage people to develop be-

havior that is personally healthy and socially constructive. It is to help students examine decisions and choices about alcohol in the good interest of personal development both in terms of immediate and long-term goals. It will get people to become thoughtful about their behavior and make decisions that are positive. That's consistent with my notion of thev Johnnie Tradition'."

While Paur maintained that "there are other aspects of the Johnnie history that we arc not proud of," he insisted that "the tradition is one which challenges us to reach for excellence in academics, personal development and social commitments.

"What we're trying to do is not to create an alcohol-free campus by administrative decision. I do think it is a good idea to create an alternative for students in which they will understand that you don't have to drink. I'm on record for 12 years for us not creating a dry campus. From my point of view, I would like people to make good choices," said Paur.

When asked whether he considered complete abstinence preferable to responsible consumption, Paur said, "Complete abstinence could be better for-some for positive reasons, just as celibacy may be good for a few. I don't necessarily see that as a social ideal."

From a broader sociological perspective, McLaughlin said those in the SJU community "must ask themselves if we've grown to expect that young men come here and do things that they did not do in their own homes and probably won't do in their place of employment. Is drinking a necessary component of maturation? Or is it accepted as part of the normal rite of passage?"

"It's a national trend. Wrestling with the issue of alcohol management is going on in 50 states. I equate this movement with other major movements in our society. We don't treat black people the same as 30 years ago. We don't treat our environment the same as we did 20 years ago. We don' t treat women the same as we did 10 years ago and smokers the same as five years ago. Alcohol is the front burner issue now."

Kemmerling said he hopes the alcohol and drug free dormitory "will enable us to see positive results and changes in personal attitudes here." But he said, "In my mind, this is still an experiment and it should still be viewed that way."



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A university committee recently proposed to the SJU administration that Greg House be used as drug and alcohol free housing. If accepted, the dormitory program could include anonymous random drug testing.