editorial

Author: [no author name found]

Police presence on campus demands student responsibility

Rapidly garnering a reputation as one of the most raucous parties of the semester, the VACA Halloween bash on Friday resulted, for the second year in a row, in a flurry of uniformed activity on campus. This year, two students were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Earlier in the evening, a visibly flustered Public Safety officer took to the D.J. booth and, shouting over a sea of frenzied students, warned partygoers to keep "the booze" out of Johnson Memorial Building, where the bash made its triumphant, seedy return.

The reactions to this weekend's events point to students' widespread misconceptions about the role that both Public Safety officers and town policemen play on campus, and betray the wildly immature attitude that many students take in dealing with both bodies of officials. By Saturday afternoon extravagant rumors about the Friday night arrests peppered student conversation, and the incident only heightened the belief among many students that police presence on campus is especially prominent this semester. The general sentiment was one of frustration and indignation.

With the Department of Public Safety and the MPD disputing these assertions, however, it is time for students to reevaluate their impressions of both organizations.

Communication between the Department of Public Safety and the MPD is, clearly, crucial to a successful working relationship between the two bodies, but all signs seem to indicate that protocol is already in place and being followed when it comes to College dealings with the MPD. These protocols were updated recently, and were activated on Friday night. Other incidents - like the evacuation that came in the wake of last week's train derailment - further point to the harmonious, cooperative links between College security and town officials.

Why, then, are students so out of sorts?

Too many Middlebury students have an unrealistic view of the College as a sanctuary from both the law and the outside community. At times, this misunderstanding manifests itself in that infamous "Middlebury bubble." Occasionally, it translates to frustration for students who insist on hoping that the campus functions as a safe zone for supposedly responsible underage drinkers.

Students must understand their rights, and should know when and where law enforcement officers are allowed to make their presence known. It is imperative, however, that students respect uniformed officers on campus. (Of course, these same officers must treat the student body with equal respect. The use of pepper spray to subdue a student last weekend is disturbing and frightening.) In attending the only school in Vermont that allows alcohol on campus, Middlebury students have a responsibility to conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates good-natured maturity and restraint. While students are understandably piqued by the heightened presence of liquor law inspectors on campus, the additional scrutiny is inevitable and in many ways understandable. It falls to individual members of the community to demonstrate respect for the law and respect for Middlebury's very privileged - and unique - status.

Frustration with town police officers and Public Safety officers - who often bear the brunt of students' immaturity and poor judgment - is neither constructive nor practical. Students must educate themselves about their rights, but more importantly they must conduct themselves like the adults they profess to be. Only by dealing with these officers in a mature, thoughtful manner can students hope to achieve what they so desperately crave: privacy.