Manhattan College Forcing Students Off the Quad and into the Bars
Dom Delgardo
Issue date: 4/27/05 Section: Perspectives
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On a cool Thursday night this spring, a handful of Manhattan College students went onto the Quad for a game of wiffleball. Although the students were not drinking that night, and the residents of the top floor of De La Salle not only had no problems with the game, but were even cheering them on, security came and broke up the game. Sophomore and student in the School of Business Chris Stroud said, "People get pissed off because they close the gym on Fridays, they wonder why people go out and get drunk or have parties in there room." He went on to say, "We can't enjoy ourselves on the Quad? I don't understand."
How often does this happen to students at Manhattan? We sit in our rooms and watch movies or play video games, and then when we go into the hallway or lounge to hang out with friends either the R.A. or security tells us we are too loud and need to wrap it up. When quiet hours start just around when people finish their work for the night and want to see their friends, where else shall they turn except for the bar?
Don't get me wrong; I think that the students are at fault just as much as the school in this area. The bar shouldn't be the only place where students go on the weekends given that we live in the best city in the country (this is coming from a kid from Boston), but the school certainly isn't helping when they provide very little to keep the students occupied and entertained on the weekends. To the best of my knowledge, there has been very little to keep students around like the "movies on the Quad" we had last year.
I would say that the three major events in this school are the monthly Senior Nights, Manhattan Madness, and Spring Fling. Isn't it a little sad that our most exciting nights of the semester are the nights that everyone has an extra excuse to drink? I don't know about anyone else but that's what got me excited in high school.
I am not trying to be hypocritical in saying all of these things, I admit that I am in the same boat as most students when it comes to the things we do on the weekend. I do feel, however, that it's time that we asked more from our school. Every student at this school pays a fairly large activities fee. We all pay $150.00 every semester. That means that the school takes in roughly $780,000 for 2600 students at Manhattan. Am I really paying all of that money so that I can go to one or two movies for five bucks? If most of that money is going towards club funding, that should not only be addressed and spelled out when we pay our tuition, but allow for people to form new clubs when they want to.
The most aggravating fact is that the school and our security hold its students to a double standard. They install quiet hours that force students to choose to stay in their rooms or get off campus, and are then surprised when underage students go to bars or have parties in their rooms. What choices do they have?
They could have the choice to go to the Quad or Plato's to see one of the many original bands that we have in our school. Or they could be able to join a frisbee or wiffleball tournament set up by the R.A.'s or student activities. There are hundred's of possible choices for things to do, but activities are rarely set up for the weekends. So until then, the cycle will repeat where students aren't allowed to hang out at school, and are forced to go to the bars.
How often does this happen to students at Manhattan? We sit in our rooms and watch movies or play video games, and then when we go into the hallway or lounge to hang out with friends either the R.A. or security tells us we are too loud and need to wrap it up. When quiet hours start just around when people finish their work for the night and want to see their friends, where else shall they turn except for the bar?
Don't get me wrong; I think that the students are at fault just as much as the school in this area. The bar shouldn't be the only place where students go on the weekends given that we live in the best city in the country (this is coming from a kid from Boston), but the school certainly isn't helping when they provide very little to keep the students occupied and entertained on the weekends. To the best of my knowledge, there has been very little to keep students around like the "movies on the Quad" we had last year.
I would say that the three major events in this school are the monthly Senior Nights, Manhattan Madness, and Spring Fling. Isn't it a little sad that our most exciting nights of the semester are the nights that everyone has an extra excuse to drink? I don't know about anyone else but that's what got me excited in high school.
I am not trying to be hypocritical in saying all of these things, I admit that I am in the same boat as most students when it comes to the things we do on the weekend. I do feel, however, that it's time that we asked more from our school. Every student at this school pays a fairly large activities fee. We all pay $150.00 every semester. That means that the school takes in roughly $780,000 for 2600 students at Manhattan. Am I really paying all of that money so that I can go to one or two movies for five bucks? If most of that money is going towards club funding, that should not only be addressed and spelled out when we pay our tuition, but allow for people to form new clubs when they want to.
The most aggravating fact is that the school and our security hold its students to a double standard. They install quiet hours that force students to choose to stay in their rooms or get off campus, and are then surprised when underage students go to bars or have parties in their rooms. What choices do they have?
They could have the choice to go to the Quad or Plato's to see one of the many original bands that we have in our school. Or they could be able to join a frisbee or wiffleball tournament set up by the R.A.'s or student activities. There are hundred's of possible choices for things to do, but activities are rarely set up for the weekends. So until then, the cycle will repeat where students aren't allowed to hang out at school, and are forced to go to the bars.