Students uneasy about anti-drinking reforms

On Wed., Oct. 7, President Bill Clinton, LAW '73, approved reforms allowing universities to notify the parents of students in federal aid programs of alcohol and drug violations. In addition, other major revisions were added to the existing Jeanne Clery Law, a campus security law originally enacted in 1990. The amendments will include denying federal aid to students who have had problems with substance abuse, and impose stricter penalties for colleges that misreport crime statistics.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Yalies like these beer-funnelers could be reported to their parents after a change in federal law.

Dr. Paul Genecin, Director of University Health Services (UHS), feels that there might be a drastic downside to this bill. "We look upon our undergraduate students as grown-ups, and we don't share information," Genecin said. "It would make [students] less likely to want to report problems and seek help." So far, UHS has maintained a policy of protecting the confidentiality of students who are patients. The office's first priority is to assist students demanding medical attention.

Many students agree with Genecin's belief that that those in need of medical aid will now be more reluctant to use hospital services. Shannon Scott, SY '99, a freshman counselor, was upset about the bill. "The relationship between a student first coming to college and [his or her] parents is so complex. Alcohol is a personal issue that should be discussed between a student and [his or her] parents independent of the University." David Aguilo, JE '01, added, "There are too many people here who worry about what their parents think."

The new law could force intoxicated students' friends to make a choice between protecting a friend's safety and keeping him or her out of trouble. Like many Yalies, one anonymous sophomore was taken to UHS by some of his friends last year. "I was drinking a lot, I blacked out, and I woke up in [UHS]," the student said. "I would imagine [the bill] could temper people's reactions to these incidents. That's frightening."

The amendments deny federal aid to university students convicted of a drug-related crime. According to University Director of Financial Aid Donald Routh, 40 percent of Yale students are dependnt on the federal government for financial aid. Beth Videlock, SM '02, stated, "The last thing that you should deny to someone with a drug problem is the opportunity for an education."

The new bill also makes it mandatory for universities to make all reports of campus crime public. All crimes on campus and in the immediate vicinity must now be reported to the Department of Education. Yale claims that it has always acted in accordance with federal laws when reporting crimes.

University Secretary Linda Lorimer, LAW '77, confirmed, "Colleges are meticulous in reporting their crime statistics because we do think this is an important issue to students and their parents. This reform wouldn't change Yale policy because we go through a thorough process of collecting and compiling crime statistics and reporting them to the authorities."

The less controversial parts of the bill include clauses to combat violent crimes against women. The federal government plans to offer grants totalling $10 million during the 1998-99 fiscal year for universities to implement programs to stop preventing violence against women.

Rachel Deutsch, ES '00, of the Women's Center at Yale, praised this aspect of the bill. "The grants will definitely be more helpful. I think that increased funding is an important gesture in identifying violence against women as a problem and working to prevent it," she said.

The bill is named for Jeanne Clery who was murdered at Lehigh University in 1986. Her parents, co-founders of the national nonprofit organization Security on Campus, along with several victims' rights groups, charged that colleges were under-reporting campus crimes to protect their images and pushed for this bill.

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