One would assume that as a Jesuit school, our administrators would not have to bribe us to spread holiday cheer and help those who are less fortunate. However, a bribe took place when Mark Reed, dean of students, and Bill Schimpf, vice president for student services, proposed the Student Conduct Fine compensation program.
This program requires that students with conduct violations repay outstanding fines with unwrapped gifts that will then be donated to charity.
The first problem with this is that the definition of a donation is the act of giving something, especially to charity. Nowhere in this definition does it state that you get something in return. Therefore, one shouldn’t expect something in return. People across the nation donate to Toys for Tots and are happy with the fact that they are making a difference in a child’s life.
My family donates toys to Toys for Tots every year at our nearest grocery store. We don’t stand there and wait for something in return. It would be like one asking of those men that ring the bell outside stores for Salvation Army donations for a $50 bill.
What ever happened to holiday spirit? I know it makes me feel good to do a good deed without something in return.
I don’t think the less fortunate would like the fact the only reason they got their learning leap frog or holiday Barbie was because some freshman was playing flip cup at Fairfield and got busted.
Let’s be honest, it is tempting. I would much rather buy a toy for a child then pay a fine for an alcohol violation that goes toward…well, I’m not really sure where it goes. Are you?
And if the administration is going to bribe us to make donations, why are they excluding so many students? There are several of us out there who do not have a pending fine for a Student Conduct Violation. What about the students that have just recently paid their debt? Sucks for them. They could have spent $10 on a toy instead of paying a fine that would have probably cost them much more.
Or what about the students that do not have an outstanding fine? Should they break the rules in the student handbook so that they can get a fine and then buy a toy to make it disappear? Perhaps those “good” students should start an underground Texas Hold’em casino in the basements of their townhouses. Or maybe the first floor of freshmen guys in Jogues should get together and hire a stripper from Bridgeport and have her perform her “services” in the corner room triple.
But wait, some think they can only donate a toy if they get caught. So they need to make sure they get caught, go to judicial, get a fine, and buy a toy.
Happy holidays and help those less fortunate than you.
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