Security measures will become more stringent toward uncooperative groups as the semester continues
Maddi O’Neill
News Editor
With the first week of spring semester came the implementation of a new party monitor policy. The first weekend (Jan. 17-19) of the new policy was mostly uneventful, with only one party being shut down by Security and Protective Services (SPS) for failing to complete a party contract. As the semester progresses, SPS will become more stringent in its enforcement of the policy, according to Director of SPS Steve Glick.
“No one was written up this weekend because we were trying to work with the groups,” Glick said. “That will change next weekend. While we will still work with groups, SPS will file reports.”
For those who acted as party monitors last weekend, reactions to the new policy have been mixed. Elliot Wainwright ‘15, a member of Xi Chi Psi, said that adding party monitors hasn’t changed the way his group runs parties.
“We have always strived to have a good rapport with security and the administration, and in some [ways] the party monitor initiative has helped,” he said.
“In others, it hasn’t. It is a bit restrictive in the fact that now we cannot use the full manpower of our group to volunteer for party monitors since not everyone in the group has completed the required training.”
Vanessa Logan ’14, who acted as a party monitor for Zeta Phi Gamma, spoke positively about the policy: “It is much easier having one person to talk to if there is a problem … Also, it is good if Security has a contact at the party if something goes wrong and they need to handle the situation.”
Wainwright noted that communication with SPS has not changed with the implementation of party monitor requirements.
“Increasing communication and collaboration with security is the major goal, but after a semester and a week of this semester of turning in the form and testing the policy, I can speak from experience that results of ‘collaboration’ can be shoddy,” he said.
“Though the policy is meant to increase communication between organizations throwing events and SPS, we’ve noticed no increase in such communication.”
In some circles, questions have arisen as to whether the policy will be followed by non-Greek groups, whose parties are often less organized.
“It is certain that the policy will not be ignored, at least by the College,” Glick said. “The Greek groups … may have the organizational capacity to better comply with the policy than other groups.” He added that party monitor training sessions to become a party monitor will be available to everyone later in the semester.
Administrators did not reply to emails requesting further details about the training sessions or the number of students who have already been trained as party monitors by press time.
Wainwright mentioned that his training included information on “how to complete and turn in the party monitor application and a short informative session on alcohol tolerance and drinking limits.”
He added that “practical training in basic first aid, verbal conflict management and diffusion and a meet and greet with all of the security officers” would be helpful additions to the training.