College means having the freedom to go out on school nights or weekends with friends, possibly drink a little here and there, and let the stress of academics be forgotten for just a few hours. This is nothing new about college drinking, it happens in every generation. It is not realistic to eliminate drinking at college, but it would be possible for Dickinson College to create a safer environment for their students when they are going out.

At Dickinson currently, kegs are not allowed on campus, therefore, many parties that take place on weekends, and occasionally weekdays, happen off campus in the town of Carlisle. These houses have been the designated party houses since our parents attended college. It is a part of Dickinson’s social culture, yet these parties are not registered through the school, and therefore run the risk of being busted by the Carlisle Police Department (CPD).

Because CPD is busting these parties, it has led to more students, specifically this 2014-2015 school year, being arrested or getting citations on their records. CPD should not be busting these Dickinson parties; DPS, the schools Department of Public Safety should be getting contacted by neighbors to take care of noise complaints so there are no arrests. However, CPD does have jurisdiction over the town of Carlisle, so they are the ones to be contacted over DPS.

It is inevitable that drinking on campus will happen. The town of Carlisle closes down at 9:00 or 10:00 at night, so what else is there for students to do? MOB has been doing their best to supply weekend activities for students across the campus, but they can’t replace the culture of Dickinson, they can only add to it with more on campus activities.

I have visited numerous schools before, and their version of DPS walks into a party just to check that everyone is safe and that no one is too intoxicated. Once looking around and asking how all the students are doing, the DPS officer will then walk out, allowing the students to continue to have a fun time and a stress free night away from school work. Here, students and administration lack trust and communication when it comes to nonacademic activities.

“I feel as though there is a disconnect between administration and students causing a lack of trust on both ends. President Durden stressed the importance of good academics but also the importance of taking a break from schoolwork and socializing. I feel currently that this balance is effecting student moral and overall happiness,” said Catie Ledwick, ’16 a member of a Greek organization on campus.

“There is definitely a strange relationship between students and DPS, and it is seen that DPS is not having a symbiotic relationship with students,”  explains first-year Doug Thompson. “My friends and I shouldn’t be scared or worried when we see DPS on weekends when we are going out. They’re there to keep us safe, but instead they bust us for the little things,” said Doug Thompson (’18)

The biggest issue is the lack of strong bonds and relationships between students and administration. A happy campus life means a good balance between working hard academically and having fun with friends when a break is needed. It has become necessary for the Dickinson community to foster a better drinking culture, and this can be solved by having on campus parties where you get a citation from DPS for throwing a party or creating a noise complaint, which then leads to talking to a Dean. I along with many others would prefer this outcome to getting mugged or arrested by CPD at an off campus party.

For many students , college is supposed to be a time where we learn and grow as people. When looking back at my college years,  I don’t want to remember how boring and unhappy I was with the campus life at Dickinson. Many would agree with the sentiment expressed by sophomore Jeremy Palcan:

“The administration is completely disconnected from its student body, which it serves, resulting in a limited social scene, unrealistic drinking policy, a student body that does not trust its Department of Public Safety nor the fairness of a disciplinary board, and an overall forgettable college experience.”