Elbow rule, re-rack at six, and most importantly, watch the bounce. Beirut tables used to be forbidden property and could get students in a lot of hot water, until now.
The previous policies strictly outlawing beirut tables seem to be changing in favor of the students.
The department of housing plans to legalize beirut tables in order to increase the number of registered townhouse parties.
The department realizes that fear of getting in trouble for having a beirut table may have discouraged many students from registering their townhouse parties.
“Although the student handbook still says all students are responsible for discouraging alcohol-related behavior that is abusive to themselves or to others, said Fran Koerting, director of residence life. “It no longer specifies drinking games as being against the code of conduct.”
With the help of the new card readers, party attendance will now be documented and only evaluated by the judicial department, not the department of residence life or the housing department.
Other new policies state that party hosts will not be completely responsible for underage students consuming alcohol at their parties. Those students will be documented using the card readers and entered into the judicial system.
“We want to turn the townhouses back over to the juniors and seniors, and and let them feel comfortable knowing the chances of being invaded by fifty freshmen are less,” said Laura Cantrell, director of residence life.
“Even though beirut tables are still somewhat of a fire hazard especially in a townhouse basement where there are 50 people and the only exit is a feeble wooden staircase,” said Cantrell. “These new policies will keep rule enforcement across campus equal and hopefully promote responsible drinking.”
Drinking is a problem on Fairfield University’s campus according to a survey conducted a few years ago by the department of residence life which showed that 85% of students at Fairfield University drink compared to the national average of 67%.
The results also stated that 57% of Fairfield University students binge drink (consuming 5 or more drinks in one night) on a weekly basis.
The results recorded by Fairfield were also higher than all of the other schools surveyed who were grouped as similar to Fairfield. Six other schools constituted the group to which Fairfield was compared.
Student reactions have been positive towards the new party policies on campus.
“Beirut tables should have been legalized a long time ago, because they are in essence a piece of plywood, and what’s wrong with plywood?,” said Michaela Chatel ’05.
“Getting in trouble for a beirut table is like getting in trouble for having a deck of cards.”
In addition to allowing beirut tables, registered parties will be be allowed to have a keg on the back porch and receive free wrist bands for all guests.
The card readers will only be used at unusually large or unregistered parties, and will only be used by an RHC.
Townhouse and apartment managers, who were instrumental in creating these policy changes, are also pleased.
Townhouse manager Greag Pasler ’06 is one of the supporters of the new codes of conduct.
“I think it’s a great idea and it will cause students to register more parties. Fairfield is doing a great job of loosening up policies and this will help students as well as the administration,” said Pasler.
Apartment manager Kimberly Orefice ’05 is also in favor of the new rules and legality of beirut tables.
“These new policies are great because it will make it easier to register more parties,” said Orefice. “There’s no harm in Beirut itself, I don’t know why there was a problem with it in the first place.”
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