The administration’s decision to fire Ms. DeFrancesco is regrettable and will have a chilling effect wherein students who have consumed too much alcohol will not seek medical attention for fear of the consequences.
I fear that the repercussions of this incident will be tragic.
The University should expect that a Resident Assistant set a positive example for the students in her dorm.
I would understand the University’s decision if Ms. DeFrancesco was under the legal drinking age, but this is not the case.
There is no allegation that she did broke any laws or did anything wrong.
She wasn’t even on campus when she consumed too much alcohol.
Yes, the University does not want to promote binge drinking. However, alcohol abuse is a prevalent problem in our society and college campuses.
She did the right thing by seeking medical attention, thus setting a good example for the students in her dorm.
From the article, there is nothing more to suggest that this was an isolated incident.
Like it or not, most people will consume too much alcohol at some point in their lives.
The truly important thing is how they conduct themselves after overindulging.
Do they get behind the wheel and drive home, or do they call a taxi? Do they lock themselves in their dorm room to “sleep it off” and choke on their own vomit, or do they seek medical attention?
Ms. DeFrancesco set a negative example by drinking too much. She set a positive example by seeking medical attention.
The administration has foolishly chosen to focus on the negative rather than the positive.
What is more troubling is that the administration has chosen to ignore the example it is setting by making the decision to terminate her.
James Iannone Class of 1995
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