The pre-party, typically known as a time-honored college tradition to begin a night of partying, holds only two guidelines — keep the housefellow out and the alcohol in.
However, this often illegal and unsanctioned activity does have major drawbacks. As the alcohol flows, so does the noise, and when the housing staff discovers the party they enlighten the students with their own ritual — punishment.
University of Wisconsin freshman Steve Ortiz said he learned this lesson the hard way when he, in his drunkenness, left a bottle of vodka sitting on his desk. Ortiz’s housefellow stopped by to chat, and when he was almost out the door, he happened to glance in the bottle’s direction. Now Ortiz, in addition to losing the vodka, anxiously awaited a talk with a Resident Life coordinator.
Ortiz’s case is typical, but his punishment isn’t. As Kevin Helmcamp, assistant director of the Southeast division of University Housing, said housefellows are able to judge the severity of the offense and act accordingly.
The housing staff has discretion to assign the punishment they see fit, which can range from a meeting with a house fellow to having to defend oneself in front of a dismissal committee.
Helmkamp stressed the behavior of students as the biggest determinant in deciding penalties.
?The more the behavior impacts other people, the greater the punishment,? Helmkamp said.
Between 115 and 140 students on campus each year will make enough of an impact to get themselves a hearing before a committee for an alcohol-related offense.
Of the 8,700 students living in the university residence halls, many more beyond that group receive warnings for alcohol-related incidences including being caught with alcohol, causing excessive noise, violence or vandalism.
Dealing with the housing staff is only part of the underage drinker’s problem. Though it is ?not an automatic call,? according to Helmkamp, the police are requested for situations with dangerously drunk, rude, or combative students.
The police force has even gone so far as to assign ?residence hall liaisons? to befriend the students and prevent illegal activities in the residence halls, University Police Cpt. Dale Burke said.
While the housing staff can put a student’s housing contract in jeopardy, the police can seriously affect the student’s bank account.
Police issue tickets of $212 for a first underage drinking offense, and $335 for a second offense within a year. The year 2000 alone saw 68 liquor law violations in the residence halls, and another 98 students were arrested.
The police also complete detox reports to determine if those dangerously drunk students should be going to the hospital, but not without the threat of a drinking ticket.
Many students living in the residence halls said that aside from abstaining from drinking, the best way to avoid the wrath of a housefellow is to keep quiet with the door shut and the music kept at a decent level.
?I’ve never heard of people getting busted for alcohol, just noise,” said UW freshman Valerie Byrne. “Noise is a bigger problem than alcohol.?
Burke and Helmkamp suggested that students abstain from drinking in the residence halls. Burke said if a student is busted with a cup in hand or a bottle on the floor, it is best not to lie.
The housing staff and the police are much nicer to cooperative criminals, Burke said.
?If students want to make it difficult for us, we can make it difficult for them,? Burke said.
Burke said not opening the door is not a viable option.
?We can wait,? said Burke. ?People have to come out [of their rooms] at some point.?
