Editorial: Improving monitoring

In September 2001, administrators instituted a system of self-regulating party monitoring to improve security at on-campus parties.

Now, however, administrators admit that the system has many flaws and does not work as well as they intended. However, Student Affairs administrators do not seem to be doing anything to either check on the efficacy of the system or to improve it.

The central problem is that there is an insoluble dichotomy in the attitudes of college students: On one hand, students believe they should be treated as adults and should be responsible for their own behavior, but on the other hand, when student behavior becomes too rowdy and unacceptable, students argue that they are just college students having fun and therefore should not bear the responsibility.

Party monitors and the problems with them embody this difficulty. The monitors are supposed to be the manifestation of student responsibility, part of a system whereby students can regulate their own parties and ensure the safety of those parties. However, party monitors are also college students who often enjoy getting drunk and partying hard, meaning that they are not always going to be responsible.

Having party monitors is like having a fox watch the hen house. By having selective living group members monitoring the parties of their own groups, the University runs the grave risk of having the party monitors engage in the very activities they should be supervising. Ideally, party monitors would be objective observers, able to monitor and regulate the party without becoming personally involved.

However, this may not be possible, and the party monitoring system - despite its flaws - is still preferable to having no system and preferable to alternative systems of administrative crack-down. At the very least, having party monitors present gives students at the party a person to whom to go when they have a problem, and even if party monitors cannot assist with the problem, they should be able to show the students in the correct direction.

Moreover, the fact that party monitors are familiar with the environment and people at the party might actually be an advantage. People are more likely to listen to their friends' advice, and party monitors are easily able to integrate into the party and be present where the action is, letting them more effectively do their jobs.

It is essential, though, that party monitors always wear their shirts and that they remain sober at parties. Additionally, the University should institute more stringent training for party monitors to ensure that they know the importance of their jobs and can perform their duties if called upon. Students should recognize that the party monitoring system is preferable to more invasive systems of regulation. Therefore, everybody has a common interest in making sure that the party monitor system works, but ultimately it begins with personal responsibility on the part of the monitors.