My roommate came home quite drunk one night, and I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I let him sleep it off like I did last time, or should I take him to the Health Center?
—Drunk with confusion
The health center has stickers in virtually every bathroom telling you to not let someone sleep it off. Who am I to argue with professional nurses and doctors?
Except… be aware that school policy has changed; someone can now receive points for being brought to the health center, regardless of what the sticker says. Handbook supercedes a decal. Should this deter you? No.
Ultimately, it’s a question of your friend’s health versus points. A life versus a score card. It really shouldn’t matter if points are involved- if you’re afraid a friend could be in serious trouble, it makes a LOT of sense to get them over to Dolan immediately. It may have been fun going for awhile, but the fun could stop permanently if someone’s not careful when they’re out drinking. Killing the fun for that particular night may ensure that the person could come out of it alright and be able to talk to you after class the next day. Have people slept it off successfully? Yes. But without knowing how much they’ve drank, you’re really playing a game of Russian Roulette, and you don’t want to be the one who let the trigger go if they can’t control it at that point themselves. Call Security, get them to Dolan, and ring the bell at the door. They’ll be happy you did, and ultimately, so will your roommate.
What is the CUF building? It seems like there’s nothing there, but the way the school’s always building it would be a waste if it was just empty. There has to be a story.
—Confused Underage Freshman (CUF)
You’re in the dark about the Central Utilities Facility, or CUF, but it actually keeps us enlightened. The building houses the offices for energy services, as well as controls for such things as the heat and A/C. Dolanites might not feel cool right now, but the building does ensure that we’re all comfortable and seeing the light. Well, that is, unless you have a campus-wide power failure. But that would never happen…
I’m curious as to how much power security or RAs have. Can an RA or security search a backpack that I’m carrying in the dorms, or anything that is sealed for that matter? I’m wondering how much privacy I have.
—My lips are sealed
Ah, so you’re afraid that your illegal contraband might be discovered by the boys in black and white, eh? Well, RAs don’t have the power to be able to search a backpack. If you willingly open it up, then it’s not sealed, and they have the right to look in and so forth. Illegal search and seizure is definitely something they don’t want to be accused of. However, Security, just like the police, are empowered to search a book bag, box, or anything you have if they have reason to believe that you have something that you’re not supposed to.
If you’re giving the RA a hard time about it, chances are they will call security and that’s the end of that. However, a firm but polite no, followed by walking away, may ensure that you won’t be bothered. That’s not a guarantee though – RA’s are basically paid to ensure that you don’t have something you shouldn’t have, according to the rules of the school. They WILL escalate the situation to security if they think you’re holding a six pack in your backpack. (Busta Rhymes, here I come!)
Send in questions about Fairfield to campuslife@fairfieldmirror.com. Your best questions will be answered in this column. Looking for more personal advice? Send in advice questions to the same e-mail address for A Word of Advice, which Josh writes Mondays and Thursdays exclusively online at fairfieldmirror.com
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