by Claire Toal, staff writer

Despite the small size of our tightly woven community, the rules and regulations that Public Safety enforces are sometimes unclear to students. To help us differentiate between fact and fiction in regards to what students can and cannot do, the Echo sat down with Interim Director of Residence Life Joyce Milling to help clarify a few common misconceptions.

Hosting an on-campus event

MYTH- Hosts must be trained as party monitors.

FACT- There is a difference between hosts and event monitors. Hosts do not need to be trained as event monitors.

MYTH- It is difficult to secure a party monitor.

FACT- There are currently 52 trained event monitors and there will be another training held in the spring. According to the Student Handbook, hosts must secure a minimum of two event monitors for every event with more than 15 attendees, with one additional monitor for every 30 anticipated guests.

Megan Letchworth, Area coordinator and Health educator, explained that staff wants to work with hosts/monitors about starting the contract process early. She feels that this benefits not only the staff but event monitors as well.

Conduct

MYTH- If a student has a violation one semester, but goes the next semester without any violations, the write up will be dropped.

FACT- In years past this has been the default in the student handbook. However, this policy is now becoming an exception. Under this policy, students are repeating the same violation over and over, and therefore hindering their ability to think critically about their choices.

The decision to treat the policy as an exception rather than the default is not just due to sanctions with drugs/controlled substances, it also concerns things such as fire safety.

Viewing the policy as an exception is also more reflective of life after graduation—in the real world we won’t receive numerous writeups before suffering consequences, said Joyce Milling.

Alcohol Policy

MYTH- If alcohol is put in an opaque cup, writeups can be avoided

FACT- Alcohol isn’t allowed outside at all regardless of the container it is in. It is a Buncombe county ordinance that alcohol can not be consumed in public.

MYTH- ALE (Alcohol Law Enforcement) is placed on campus based on Warren Wilson’s request or desire.

FACT- As an institution, Warren Wilson has no control over ALE’s visits and has not requested they visit campus. ALE deals with students based on state/county laws. ALE has been invited to campus only to train RAs and RDs about drugs and alcohol.