Most floor meetings are rather uneventful and boring. This week, ours almost ended in a shouting match. Over what? Veishea.

The issue was addressed about the registration of guests. The newly-adopted “policy” for Veishea is that all guests must be registered, whether they are staying one hour or one day. Now normally this would not seem so absurd. Only there is a clause in this “policy” that states only same- sex guests may be registered. So it is fair to say that since all guests must be registered, and I, being male, am not allowed to register a female guest, that means I am not allowed to have any females visit my room during Veishea.

I distinctly remember signing a contract for my residence hall that explicitly stated co-ed visitation was allowed. The administration should just push the fact that everyone is responsible for the actions of their guest(s) instead of changing the rules regarding who can visit and who cannot. I understand the intent of the administration: They wish to avoid any events like the murder last year or the riots of the past. But seriously, wouldn’t it be much more productive to simply punish people for what they do wrong? In effect, we are being punished in advance. How fair is this?

I personally do not appreciate the fact that my rights are being compromised for something I had no hand in. Preventative measures are important in order to maintain structure and avoid lawlessness, but at what price? I am not whining about Veishea being dry. I am not of legal drinking age; either way, if I were to get caught drinking, I would be in the wrong. But what about those who are of legal age. They are not breaking any laws by drinking — in their contract it states that they are within their rights to consume alcohol in their dorm room. How fair is it to enforce “laws” instilled by the notorious “Veishea Pledge?”

I don’t know any person who actually signed a pledge. Everyone I talk to has the simple belief that as long as they are not breaking any laws, they should not be punished. Most people are simply happy to be held responsible for what they do instead of what they might do.

Simply put: every action has a consequence. There are good consequences and bad consequences. Why can’t we hold every individual responsible for his or her own choices instead of lumping everyone together?

Zac Barclay

Freshman

Animal ecology