Dorm 56: Punishment Or Prison?
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Vol. 35, No. 9 DAEMEN COLLEGE, AMHERST, N. Y. February 14, 1980 DORM 56: PUNISHMENT OR PRISON? by Lorraine Leslie I i l l Another student remarked, "Ron Hunter ■ I » if« told us we had a choice not to come back When the residents of men’s dorm 56 S i ü here. That’s a pretty big choice. I already ^returned from the Christmas break, the -|3 U - 0 C . gave my 85.0 dollars to Daemen for this usual first-night socializing did not take ■HHi semester... where are you going to find an place. As of this writing, Dorm 56 is still on apartment this time of year?” probation — no alcohol, no visitors — and “Communication . that’s all it takes,” nobody is allowed to move out. one resident said. “ If they’re willing to listen Probation was slapped on Dorm 56 hi to something, it would be easier for us to because of a party that was .held the listen to something. You can’t be on a level if Thursday before Christmas: Among the it isn’t open to suggestion and change. It’s people who inspected the Dorm after the like a vacuum:” party were Dr. Roberts. Marshall, President He continued: “ I kind of feel like we’ve of Daemen College; Ron Hunter, Vice- been squashed on like a bunch of bugs President for Student Affairs; Judy Apple- n here. Instead of giving us a warning or baum, Director of Student Life; and Wilbur something,.they come down on us like we Hofman, Director of Physical Plant. escaped from prison or something.” Reactions to the’ state of the dorm after “We are human beings,” another resident the party are varied. Judy Applebaum of the dorm continued. called it a "mess,” while Ron Huntertermed There is also much doubt in the mind of it "utter turmoil.” "Another thing, too,” Judy continued, “ In for a party — we are not punishing for the the past there’s been parties where they the residents in the dorm that the damage The dorm was allegedly given a chance sake of punishment, but we felt that some- was excessive. have cleaned up — this one they didn’t. The kind of rule or policy was necessary that this to clean up, after which another inspection “ Our dorm had the least total amount of led to the decision to put them on probation. whole thing is such a shame — it’s a shame type of thing cannot be tolerated." that it happened at all.” damage on campus last semester,” said “ Once Dorm 56 was inspected the day after There is a chance that the No Visitation one resident. "We didn’t have that much Most of the residents of Dorm 56 policy, at least, will be lifted, “ pending the party,” said Mr. Hunter, “ some was damage — you don’t see holes in our cleaned up. But after an attempt to clean, up, interviewed.feel that while some action may reassessment of the situation." lounge walls, you don’t see our furniture it was still in the same condition.” have been necessary, the No Visitors rule is “ So far they’ve done a really good job of smashed. We get our hands slapped, or in "It was still a mess,” said Judy Apple- excessive. ' sticking with the policy,” Judy said. “ If they One resident wrote: "We at “ 56” are this case our arms, broken, because of a baum, “There was garbage on the floor, continue to live up to the standards that mess in the upstairs bathroom.” respectable non-violent people. I also know we’ve set, then Ron and I will get together in shaving cream in the bathroom, beer Don Hogan said: “ Because I’m the RA, I that some punishment might have been the very near future and re-evaluate the no bottles, and Christmas decorations lying have to go along with their decision, but I around. needed. But this is ridiculous.” visitation aspect of it.” don’t think it was right. Lthink that they tried "I didn’t see any real damages,” Judy “ It’s too strict,” one resident said, “Per “ I personally felt that they understood the sonally, I felt that when they took away the to make an example of us because we’re continued, "Just mess — excessive mess, seriousness of it," Ron Hunter said. “ I don’t the only ones who ever had parties bn if you want to call it that. Because there’s a alcohol privilege, it was justified — it was a think there’senything wrong with a party. It good punishment. A punishment is a campus — and I know that if you walk into certain amount of mess you can tolerate.” just depends on how you leave a facility.” most dorms, on the weekends you’ll find Mr. Hofman, however, contends that the learning process . but unjustified The mood in the dorm, however, con punishment turns people against the them in the same condition as ours was dorm was damaged. Revealing a series of tinues to be gloomy. One student said: "It’s found that morning. Polaroid One-step pictures taken of the administration of the school.” like a prison here now; everybody’s getting Another resident commented bitterly: dorm. Mr. Hofman explained that there was Ron Hunter said "The probation was on each other’s nerves ... it’s turned what implemented to make residents cognizent ' “ This interview is being conducted at 10:00 "damage to the paint and also cleaning was once a happy atmosphere into a tense on a Saturday night and why? Because we damage.” of'the fact that wé are not punishing them situation.” can’t invite anybody over here.” Don Hogan, Resident Assistant of-Dorm 56, maintains that "We didn’t have any out and out damage. Any damage we did have was either very minor, or I had already turned in the names of the people who did the damage — who were outside sources.” BASKETBALL PLAYERS BOUNCED The infamous shaving cream ip the lavatory led to several different views. by Brian Mulally incomplètes. Once a student takes “Well,. we’re not being embar Asked if there was shaving cream in an incomplete he automatically rassed, which was my firSF worry the upstairs lavatory, Mr. Hofman replied become ineligible until he makes it right away. I was afraid we would "There certainly was.” Don Hogan, howev up. Very few of our pfayers actually end up being beaten by thirty or er, said “ I watched two people clean it up.” „ This semester, eight of the eleven failed a course.” forty points. Last Saturday (Jan. 24) Paul “B a rry M a n c u s o , one of the members of the Daemen College Due to Daemen’s lack of a junior students involved in the clean-up operation, was the first time we played as a Basketball Team had to be barred varsity team, Coach Murrayoriginal- team. We had only one practice to wrote in a-letter to the ASCENT: “ Myself and from the team due to academic Terry Newell did in fact clean the halls and ly planned to drop the program. prepare forJt and we played against ineligibility. Reactions to this varied: the bathroom the morning after the last “You could see our whole season Elmira College, which has a very party. We started sometime between 10:30 Coach Ken Murray: going down the drain, all the things strong team. Three minutes before- and 11:30 a.m. The shaving cream was “At first I was shocked. I knew we’ve worked so hard for, now the end of the game we were only wiped up and the sinks cleaned. The-only Some of them weren’t doing that suddenly no longer exist.” down about eight points. Their thing that was not cleaned was the floor well, but I didn’t realize that they A combination of new players coach was completely shocked because the mop and pail were locked up.” were doing as bad as they did.” from tryouts, the intermuraj team, about it. He put a full court press on The,letter continued to say: "The people A veteran player saw it differently. and transfers, enabled him, with the us; as soon as the ball was inbound that came in that morning came.TOO early. "Welly it’s not the first time It’s aid of one of his remaining players, Nobody was even up. They did not even they were in our shorts. Our guys happened. Last year it was the same to salvage the team, v handled thè pressure really well. The give us a chance to clean up:” type of situation. We didn’t lose as One of the main issues in the decision to So far, the new te&m is doing big factor downing usvwas condi many guys but it was the same thing. put the dorm on probation was the fact that better than expected. tioning, But everyone was surprised So it didn’t really surprise me.” the party was "unauthorized,” According to' “We’re just starting to work to that we did so well, considering what Ron Hunter, an unauthorized party is one"- When the news broke, many gether,” said a player. It’s going to had happened.” - that theBesident Life Staff is not previously people assumed that eight players take a while. It’s just a matter of Despite some problems, the team informed of. had failed. As Mr. Murray pointed getting everybpdy together and seems to be getting along. "They didn’t have permission to have the out, this was not always the case.