This editorial represents the opinion of The Bona Venture staff.
Weekends at St. Bonaventure, similar to most college campuses, have become notorious for wild student behavior. There’s no denying what happens on an average Friday night at Bona’s. Many students get dressed up and go out for a night of partying, whether it’s on campus or in Allegany.
But there’s one weekend each year when normal weekend activities seem to be put on hold in exchange for a quiet weekend: Family Weekend.
Why can’t students act like they do on Family Weekend during any other weekend at Bona’s? Why can’t the so-called ‘family effect’ last longer than one short weekend? Mom and dad may not be around all the time, but they would still be disappointed if they knew how some students act during the weekend. Students should keep up the good behavior, regardless of the presence of parents.
On an average weekend at Bona’s, 10 to 15 students are reported to security for alcohol or drug-related problems, according to Richard Trietley, vice provost for student life. He said on average, three or four students also receive citations from the Allegany police for underage drinking or being a disturbance each weekend. Another three to four students get in trouble for vandalism.
But students aren’t only getting in trouble for their drunken actions each weekend. They are also putting themselves in danger. An ambulance has to be called once or twice each weekend for alcohol-related incidents, according to Trietley.
Students also need to remember they are representing the Bonaventure community when they are in Allegany and when they drink and misbehave, they are disrespecting Bona’s and the town of Allegany.
On Family Weekend, it’s easy to see the improvement in students’ behavior. This past weekend, there was only one report for an alcohol violation, one for drugs, no alcohol related ambulance calls and two vandalism reports.
Compared to an average weekend, last weekend was amazing.
“I think we all grew up and heard our parents say ‘don’t do anything your mother wouldn’t approve of,’” Trietley said. “So when parents are around, I believe our students’ behavior is a lot better.”
Drinking isn’t just a problem on the Bonaventure campus. 36 percent of college students admit to binge drinking, according to a study by The Century Council.
It’s illogical to think the school can completely ban parties and drinking. Even if the school made it illegal, students are still going to find a way to go party. The key for students is to be responsible.
“We all know many students are going to drink, but responsible drinking is the goal,” Trietley said. “We’re trying to help students realize there can be very severe consequences.”
Family Weekend has always proven to be a lot calmer than a normal weekend, Trietley said. It would be nice if students could treat every weekend like Family Weekend, but realistically, it’s not going to happen. It’s college, and college means independence. Some students, especially freshmen just getting used to newfound freedom, take advantage of that independence. Even so, they should still strive for safety on the weekends.
“We don’t want our students put under any risk,” Trietley said. “That should never happen.”
Even if the ‘family effect’ can’t last past Family Weekend, students need to remember to be responsible. More weekends like this past weekend would be a welcome change.
We can have fun, but let’s keep it safe.
