“With the ‘red zone’ ending,” is how I would’ve started this column — but as all of campus knows at this point, the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) team has extended the red zone, or dry recruitment, until January. The FSL team and Dean of Students office has begun to provide clarity on the policy change, but there is a lot being left out when it comes to safety, especially in educating its social organizations on how to properly host events.
An FSL risk chair member confirmed that Trinity failed to train its risk managers this year, neglecting to host any training before the initial end of the red zone. Given this gap in training, I wanted to take it upon myself to pass along my knowledge on party safety. As a member of a fraternity and as somebody who values personal and communal safety above all else in party scenarios, I hope that I can offer insight to people who may be new to the party scene.
Education is always better than suppression, and I hope that Trinity’s FSL Staff has learned that lesson after this controversial season. I do believe that Associate Dean of Students Benjamin Williams was well-intentioned in his efforts to extend the red zone, but I strongly believe that the FSL team has not done enough to educate their community. With that, I think a column disclosing this information is especially important right now.
It’s important to know about university policies that seek to protect you at parties and in dangerous situations involving substances. Trinity has a myriad of policies for student safety, and the best resource you have available to learn about them is the Trinity University Policy Portal. For our purposes, we will be talking about Trinity’s Safer Parties Initiative (SPIn). SPIn acknowledges that, although parties happen off campus and outside of Trinity’s jurisdiction, the organizations hosting them are responsible for the community and must ensure parties are as safe as possible.
One important protection for students is the Responsible Friend Initiative outlined in the Alcohol and Other Drugs policy. It is “Trinity’s policy encouraging students to seek help in alcohol or drug related emergencies without fear of disciplinary action.”
The goal of this policy is for students to feel safe contacting authorities in a dangerous, substance-related situation. If you and your friend are drunk in your room and they go a bit too far, you can call TUPD, and they will focus only on the health and safety of your friend.
The next thing to remember is the importance of sober monitors. Sober monitors are people at parties who should be immediately identifiable in some way (commonly with high-visibility vests) and be completely sober.
They actively patrol parties and monitor the status of the event, making sure the environment remains safe at all times More specific information can be found on the SPIn policy page. You should always be able to find sober monitor contact information easily at a party, usually through flyers posted throughout the venue with contact information.
These policies exist for student protection, and organizations should follow them at all times during parties. I highly encourage students to report anybody who is not following them. Safety should be of utmost importance to every organization on campus, and if a group is not meeting these requirements, they should be held accountable.
To move away from Trinity policy, let’s talk about some general safety tips. One good rule of thumb is to travel in groups. There are lots of benefits to partying with your friends, beyond the fun factor. Having multiple people around to keep you accountable and to take care of you should a dangerous situation arise is extremely valuable. Additionally, having a designated driver or a sober friend can go a long way for safety. Having somebody who is responsible for
transportation, decision-making and general well-being can make things safer. It’s like having your own personal sober monitor.
Drinking is another vital thing to talk about. It is common for students to experiment with alcohol, especially coming into college, but students don’t tend to pace themselves. Frat parties can be particularly risky for alcohol consumption, as the high-energy social environment can encourage over-drinking. With this, it becomes especially important to keep track of your own state as you begin to branch out. Check in with yourself regularly and ensure that you are comfortable and that your support system is nearby if you start to have problems.
Since this university has failed to educate its FSL community, opting to press pause on an issue instead of addressing it, I hope this column can help you have fun and be safe when you party.
