Courtesy of Jenna Konstantine

6:54 | The tables have literally turned for tonight’s VSA Council meeting. The Council has changed the orientation of their u-shaped table arrangement in the CCMPR such that they may now face an audience in the back of the room.

7:03 | Council is about to begin.

7:07 | Attendance.

7:13 | Forum with representatives from the Drugs and Alcohol Education Committee (DEC) Director of Health Education Renee Pabst and Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Carter: “Some of the things that make Vassar Vassar also make Vassar prone to these issues,” says Carter of the rise in intoxication incidents this year.

According to Carter, this year the DEC has been given the ability to come up with more policy suggestions than it has in the past. Part of this has been identifying and consolidating existing policies on alcohol and drugs: “There’s four different policies on campus for the exact same thing sometimes,” he says.

Carter says that the committee faced the same issue when they began reevaluating smoking policies last year.

“ I think one of our major concern is that after 5 o’Clock on Friday afternoons, the administration disappears,” Carter continues, adding that the same is true of faculty. “ The DEC has also been trying to say that the administration needs to take a more active role.”

Pabst adds that one way the administration and VSA have been supportive of addressing alcohol issues this year has been the establishment of the alternative space in the second floor of the Students Building. “I still think there needs to be a lot more done in that area,” says Pabst. “I think it all comes down to, ‘where do we put our money.’”

Carter and Pabst identify several reasons that Vassar is perhaps more prone to problems with intoxication than other campuses might be. One is that there are many fewer classes offered on Fridays, which Pabst says leads to more incidences on non-weekend nights, especially Thursdays. “I have the research that shows that this is an environmental factor,” she says.

Changing this trend, however, would be unpopular for faculty as well as students. “When you’re looking at these overall environmental approaches…it’s a collaborative effort,” she says.

Another reason is that kegs are allowed on campus. Carter says that while in theory hosts should card people at parties, in practice it rarely happens. He adds that there are few repercussions on the Vassar campus for serving alcohol to a minor, whereas off-campus the infraction would be treated much more seriously.

Pabst adds that there are statistics show that campuses that allow kegs tend to have higher rates of intoxication. “There’s different levels regarding alcohol and other drugs…I think repercussions need to be reflective of those different risks,” says Pabst. “I don’t think that we are always good about educating you all about those different risks.”

Another factor that leads to high rates of intoxication is the mixing of classes within the houses, but they clarify that they do not want to change that tradition. Rather, it is something for the College to work with.

Pabst and Carter have addressed any changes in drinking trends that may have happened due to the state ban on FourLoko. “I would love to say that we’ve seen a decrease in some of the FourLoko stuff,” says Pabst. “Unfortunately, students can still get it.”

“It’s still the culture that promotes that kind of binge drinking,” says Carter.

According to Carter and Pabst, there is always a spike at the beginning of every semester, and while FourLoko drew focus to a particular kind of alcoholic beverage, there is still a problem with alcohol on the campus. Carter adds that during the first all-campus party of the spring semester, Vassar used all of the ambulances available in Arlington and more had to be called in from the surrounding area.

According to Pabst, statistically, Vassar students tend to arrive at the College drinking at lower-risk levels, but after six weeks on campus that is not always the case.

According to Pabst, this year, more students have called from parties at the Town Houses and Terrace Apartments when they have gotten out of hand, which is a pattern that she commends. “It’s part of the collaboration [between students and Safety and Security],” she says.

Pabst has also addressed concern with the use and abuse of “study drugs,” such as Adderall. “I think the difficulty is that we feel like it’s the majority of students, and it isn’t; it’s a very small minority. I know it feels like it is because everyone is talking about it,” she says.  “I just really need to stress that it’s not the majority of students who are doing it.”

Carter is inviting more student voices to join the DEC.

Pabst and Carter have noted that this year several students were found by Safety and Security before being sent to the hospital; Town Houses President Sam Seymour ’11 asks why that has been the case. Carter says that not all students are aware of the College’s “Good Samaritan” policy that exempts students who call EMS or for whom EMS is called from disciplinary action.

Class of 2011 President Moe Byrne asks if there have been more or fewer repeat cases of intoxicated calls. “I’m seeing I think less this year than I have—I haven’t compiled the stats…I feel like I’m not seeing as many repeat people than I have in the past,” says Pabst. “The severity is higher than I have ever seen before.” Pabst says that this is the first year that she has been evaluating students’ blood alcohol level when they come to her office.

Carter adds that this is the first year that he has heard of parents being called because of students’ lives being in danger because of alcohol poisoning.

Carter is now discussing the role of the Arlington Fire Department in responding to Vassar’s intoxication calls.

8:46 | The forum has concluded.

8:47 | The Council has voted for a five minute recess.

8:52| Council members have begun entering the room.

8:55| Allocation of $1,000 to Polo from Council Discretionary: Vice President for Finance Travis Edwards’12 introduces the fund application. The polo team is present. Representatives say that the team is not supported by the athletic departments, but Vassar’s Polo team depends on the VSA for funding. They feel that fundraising will not go far enough for them to meet their needs to host the pre-regional tournament. Edwards reports that the allocation was reduced by $500 because there “is not a lot of money left in the fund.” The motion passes unanimously.

9:01| Allocation of $1,150 to  the Vassar Islamic Society (VIS ) from New Organizations Fund: The Vassar Islamic Society has not sent representatives to the meeting. The motion passes unanimously.

9:03| Allocation of $1,650 to the Grassroots Alliance for Alternative Politics (GAAP): Representatives from GAAP informed council that the organization is bringing of Anthropology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York David Harvey. This motions has passed unanimously.

9:06|Allocation of $1,900 to GAAP from Community Fund: The additionally money is required for food and advertising. Class of 2014 President Michael Moore asks GAAP if it will have the resources to “get the word out” seeing the event’s close proximity to Spring Break, to which a representative said that advertising for the event has already begun.VSA Vice President for Activities Tanay Tatum’12 introduce a motion to increase the allocation to $2,390 because of the need expressed by GAAP. The motion for the amendment passes unanimously. The Council also votes to pass the $2,390 allocation to GAAP.

9:21| Edwards moves to allocate $3,000 to the Council of Black Seniors (CBS) from the Speakers and Lecturers Fund. CBS representatives say that they are inviting Sonia Sanchez to speak on Baccalaureate Weekend before Commencement on Sunday, May 22. The allocation is made unanimously.

9:30| Executive Board Reports

Activities

VSA Vice President for Activities Tanay Tatum’12 reports that 20 organizations have not submitted their reports. She also reports that the event calendar is very full, and advises theatre groups to keep this in mind when planning their shows. She and the activities committee are deliberating on whether to put a three-show cap on theatre groups.

Student Life

VSA Vice President for Student Life Samin Shehab’11 informs council that a big part of his committee’s work, they have been focussing on the election process and how to make it more inclusive. He mentions that his committee is working closely with the Operations Committee to meet that end. He says that the other sub committees for Student Life have had “little to no progress.” He is also working on social norming during orientation, which among other things will focus on sexual wellness and eating disorders.

Academics

VSA Vice President for Academics Laura Riker’11 says that the student-seminar application were due the last Friday, and received 15 submissions for potential seminars. She also announces that a there will be a Majors Fair to be held close to the preregistration period.

9:53| Open Discussion

There are 83 days left to graduation, reports Byrne. She reports the 39% of the senior have given to the 2011 All-School Gift, and close to 700 students have given to the fund.

President of Jewett House Mariah Minigan’13 reports that her House’s Seven Deadly Sins event went really well. She said that her interaction with Safety and Security were generally good. She said that there was unclarity about the number of security guards to be employed at the event, and ended up with 7 officers who “just sat in the lobby [of Jewett].” In response, Tatum says that Council is seeking to create a sub-committee to address issues with Safety and Security.

Byrne reported that after the 100-nights celebration, the Thompson Memorial Library was “trashed” after the champagne toast. The Library has now determined that alcohol will not be in the library from now on.

Shehab reports that All-College day was not as well attended as he had hoped. Upon Class of 2012 President Pamela Vogel’s suggestion, he and the Campus Life Resource Group will consider changing the date from Wednesday — a day which is “busy for most student” according to Vogel — to another day.

10:13| President of Josselyn House Dan Flynn’13 reports that Mr. Vassar went as planned. He motions to adjourn the council; the motion passes unanimously.

According to The Poughkeepsie Journal, LaGrange Elementary School will close as a result of this reduced budget, and 52 positions will be eliminated. The Board initially considered closing several different schools to achieve a smaller budget. In April, The prospect of closing  Arthur S. May Elementary School on Raymond Avenue elicited strong responses from the school’s community.

Arlington was one of several districts, including Pawling and the City of Poughkeepsie, in which voters approved a budget after revisions by their respective Boards of Education. However, despite the reduction, the approved budget will mean a 7.3 percent increase in the tax levy for the  Arlington district.