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Through the past four years I have been in attendance of this fine University, I have never seen things have such a great inconsistency regarding policies than what I experienced this past weekend. I start my story off as a Designated Driver for an off campus birthday bash that was broken up by Stockton’s finest. This party was then led back to my apartment in the townhouses where people usually end up when they want to have a good time.
After finishing my driving for the night I went to settle in to enjoy my Friday. Not more than twenty minutes in did three RAs show up at my door. One of whom was on duty for the townhouses and two others who I had never seen before in my life, acted as though they “owned” me.
 Image acquired through facebook.com First I was told I needed to register a party 48 hours in advance, which wasn’t possible if I decided to have a party on a Friday night, about thirty minutes prior to the event. I was told register the party, or shut it down otherwise greater implications may come of it.
I got a copy of the “Housing and Greek Life: Apartment Community Party Registration Form” and proceeded to fill it out as if I had done this in first place. I left it on the door of the RA office and went back to my apartment to continue my fun.
A little while later, not more than fifteen minutes had passed I get another knock on my door, by the same three RA’s asking me to step outside. They informed me that since I hadn’t registered the party in a timely manner, I needed to shut it down, leaving only the residents of the apartment inside.
Keep in mind, that prior to their knock on the door I had just started a game of Beirut and I wasn’t about to let some power tripping people stop this game. Also, the music wasn’t so loud you could hear it from outside and everyone who was there was outback, no one was around the front door.
So I heeded to the now ‘Power-trippin’ RAs request and herded everyone out. Some attendee’s were pissed that they had to leave, so they decided to run train on my fridge and take as many brewski’s as they could carry, as if to say “thanks.”
Finally when everyone had left I was informed by the secondary RA who was on duty that due to a new GRD, as the super chill Sarah Wibe was no longer in charge, that all rules put in place by the Housing and Greek Life office had to be followed.
Over and over again I was told that I had to fill out the party registration form the Wednesday before the event whether I was going to party or not. That is a bunch of paper work just so I don’t get bothered till quiet hours by some individuals hired by housing to police the living areas before public safety has to come in to make campus “safe.” Although, if this is what it takes to not be bothered, then I guess I may as well follow the rules.
Basically, I can’t randomly have a party because I want to have one. I have to register it so that the RA’s and Public Safety won’t come hassle me until quiet hours are enforced. But then in the same sentence, if people aren’t out front, and there are no noise complaints and the RA’s can’t hear it from outside then I am ok. Technically.
It all sounds pretty kosher, but last year we didn’t have any of these issues. Everything was lax, you could do what you want. After all it was your housing residence and no one seemed to mind. If students had an issue with the noise they came and told their neighbors before going for the upper hand and calling the RA’s or Public Safety.
This morning I read through the party registration form, and of course it mentions that parties can’t be on a school night. So no parties Wednesday because I have class on Thursday. But I can party on Thursday because I don’t have any class on Friday, so Thursday night is a “Friday” night, right? The RA on duty said parties on Thursday’s would be ok.
He then also said that all party registration forms must be in on Wednesday even if the party was on Wednesday. But that negates the policy of registering the party 48 hours before the event. A party on Thursday is 24 hours after Wednesday, and it’s still ok? That doesn’t seem to follow that rule, but it’s the RA enforcing it so it must be fine.
The party registration form then also says that if alcohol is to be provided that it must be listed. If I’m going to be having some people over, everyone won’t drink beer. The form tells me I can list hard alcohol, but the RA later informs me I can’t have hard alcohol. This seems odd to me, but it’s the rules and it should be followed.
On the same token, I am allowed beer, “two cases” was the example, so it’s a darn good thing that Costco sells 36 boxes at $20 versus $23 for 30 boxes at Safeway.
Parties are a privilege, as the Party Registration form tells me, if I violate any of the above policies, future parties will not be approved and thus I can no longer have more than 10 people over (this constitutes a party) at any given time.
The many inconsistencies that I touch base on in this article partially deny the fact that the Party Registration form should be used and followed. Different RA’s interpret the rules differently, so it really depends on the RA on duty. One thing that is made very clear, is that no matter what happens, California state and federal laws must be abide by. All the rules that Pacific has created are flawed and need revisions.
Now I wonder and would like a response as to why we even need party registration forms, as it seems as though they are there because we don’t respect our neighbors and its in place as form of “if you don’t do this we’re going to punish you.” When I am at home I don’t have to submit “Party Registration Forms” to my home owners association, why do I have to do it here? Major public universities don’t require them.
We are college students, we like to party. We are paying $17k a semester to come to this institution and be educated. If partying is our form of education then we should have the right to do so. But this is also Pacific, a private university that can enforce their own rules even if it doesn’t make sense anywhere else. It’s the choices we make that determine our future, not the choices of people whom we pay to watch over us with their own opinions on lifestyle.
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