When DuBois College House Dean Trish Williams asked residents not to bring “drunken [non-resident] friends” to the house to take care of them, Sanchit Kumar, a Wharton and Engineering sophomore who lives in DuBois, was surprised.
Williams sent a house-wide e-mail Nov. 1, describing a new policy requiring that any DuBois residents who bring intoxicated non-resident friends to the dorm attend First Step, Penn’s harm-reduction program run by the offices of Alcohol Policy Initiatives and Health Education.
“I have no idea why [Williams] even brought up the issue,” said Kumar, who doesn’t believe DuBois has more alcohol incidents than any other college house. He pointed out that no other college house has employed this kind of policy.
In her e-mail, Williams said she is “annoyed” by residents who bring home intoxicated friends who require medical attention because the incident “goes on a university-wide report as an incident that takes place IN Du Bois, not in the house where the drunkard lives.”
Students who don’t comply with this policy, she explained, will be sent to First Step.
“If at all possible, escort the [intoxicated] person back to where he/she lives,” she added, “and keep an eye on them.”
Williams later clarified in a second e-mail to residents, sent Nov. 5, that the policy would not contradict Penn’s Medical Amnesty Policy, and that her initial statement was made in the best interests of “both the physical condition and reputation of the House.”
“I really hate the idea that anyone’s impression of the House might be influenced by a few de-contextualized statistics on alcohol incidents,” she wrote.
However, she emphasized that the safety of residents is her “first priority.”
In an e-mail to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Williams attributed her initial statements to the lack of alcohol incidents in DuBois, which caused her to “forget momentarily that Penn has an Amnesty Policy for students.”
According to Penn’s Medical Amnesty Policy, intoxicated students who assist another student in seeking medical attention will not receive disciplinary action.
“The University encourages all students to seek help for themselves or their friends,” Julie Lyzinski, director of Alcohol and Other Drug Program Initiatives, wrote in an e-mail, “without worrying about what sanctions will follow.”
Lyzsinki added that First Step is a “proactive, safe place” for students to discuss concerns, to problem solve and to live a “healthier life while here at Penn.”
Likewise, Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team Operations Captain and Wharton junior Josh Lipman praised First Step as “educational intervention” used to “teach students about harm reduction tactics.”
He emphasized that participation in the program is not noted on any police or academic records and is not viewed as disciplinary action.
College Houses and Academic Services did not respond to requests for comment.
Still, Kumar said he and other residents feel that the new policy was a “scare tactic.”
“If someone is trying to help out, kudos to them,” said Kumar, who continues to believe the policy is “really just about protecting the image of DuBois.”
For the full text of the e-mails sent by House Dean Trish Williams, see thedp.com.
