Queen’s University will not allow alcohol in residence during frosh week, according to CTV.
The week-long project prohibits undergraduate students of any age from bringing alcohol into their dorms.
Graduate students, however, are exempt from this initiative.
“The policy is an extension of the fact that all sanctioned [orientation week] events are alcohol free. It reflects the fact that 92 [per cent] of our first-year residence students are under the legal drinking age in Ontario,” Queen’s associate vice-principal and dean of student affairs, Ann Tierney, said in an e-mail.
According to Tierney, the policy is also a step made by the university’s Alcohol Working Group — one of the three groups under the university’s health and wellness framework.
“The focus of our health and wellness framework is on education, harm reduction and responsible choices. This initiative is one of several directed to these goals,” said Kieran Slobodin, vice-president of university affairs for the Queen’s Alma Mater Society (AMS.) “The intent [of the ban] is to decrease both irresponsible consumption of alcohol as well as decrease the peer pressure many students face when it comes to alcohol use,” Slobodin said.
He added since this a residence, not campus-wide, ban, the university will still be running their safe-consumption campaigns and campus observation room — a non-judgmental observatory for intoxicated students if they decide to drink off campus.
“Alcohol use is not isolated to Queen’s University and we encourage other campuses to be proactive, rather than wait for an incident to occur,” Slobodin said.
The review of alcohol consumption in residence had been issued after chief coroner Roger Skinner said two student deaths at Queen’s last year were both alcohol related. Cameron Bruce, 18, fell out of a residence window during last year’s frosh, and Habib Khan 19, crashed though a skylight above Duncan McArthur Hall in early December 2010.
Allan Burns, Carleton’s director of university safety, said Carleton’s frosh week is also filled with safety, being dry since 2003, continues to be an exciting time for students nonetheless.
“Excessive use of alcohol at any age is always a concern and I can tell you that alcohol related offences during orientation week have reduced over the last few years [at Carleton],” Burns said.
Carleton’s frosh week is filled with over 600 volunteers who are trained with alcohol safety and the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) will be ending all alcohol sales at Oliver’s Pub during frosh week, said CUSA vice-president (student life) David Tapiero.
Tapiero agreed that Queen’s frosh can still be a success with the ban in place.
“The measure of success can only be measured in the students’ minds,” Slobodin added.
“I guess it was kind of surprising since it has a reputation of being a party school but at the same time it seemed reasonable,” said first-year Queen’s commerce student Andrea Howland. “Frosh week is about getting to know your peers and becoming comfortable in your surroundings and bringing alcohol into the equation might jeopardize the atmosphere of welcome it tries to create.”
The ban is in effect until Sept. 11.