New Room Draw Policy Curbs Interest in Sub-Free

Author: Craig Szela

Only 170 students will be drawing for the 150 substance-free spots in this year's room draw, almost half of last year's pool of 300 students.

Along with an obligatory contract, the new procedure of simultaneous substance-free and class draws spawned a decrease in demand, according to Residential System Coordinator Mariah McKechnie '01 who spearheaded the revised plan.

"In the past, students would play the room draw system by first attempting to draw a substance free room," said McKechnie. Substance-free room draw used to occur earlier in the month, she explained, and some students wanted the opportunity to draw twice. Students taking advantage of the room draw arrangements displaced many students who were serious about substance free living, she recalled.

Students have complained about the lack of adherence to substance-free agreements, said McKechnie.

"It really became apparent for students from substance-free halls that the majority of the people there don't take it very seriously," she continued. "We got reports from the deans that the substance-free halls weren't really substance-free."

McKechnie drafted a proposal in response to those concerns. She suggested that both substance-free and class-wide room draws be conducted simultaneously and that students should have to agree to a strict substance-free pledge. She also proposed mandatory attendance at one of the substance-free housing information sessions. To measure student opinion, she circulated surveys among current substance-free residents, who expressed support for the new policy.

At the information sessions last week, McKechnie read out the substance-free contract, which reaffirmed the philosophy of living in abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. This pledge will be signed after a student marks out a room on the substance-free floor plan.

McKechnie noted that many students appeared surprised when she introduced the new policy at the information sessions.