SLU Students Deserve More Options

By Zach Jaworski Last updated Sep 1, 2022

Drinking at Dana is a reflection of the drinking culture that St. Lawrence has cultivated among students.

St. Lawrence University most certainly likes to have fun on the weekends. To look at St. Lawrence University and not accept its party culture would be ignorant to a major aspect of what makes St. Lawrence, well, St. Lawrence. Recent administrative changes have pointed us in a new direction. It’s the worst kept secret in the North Country that the new (If I can still call it that) administration is look- ing to push this part of the school into the background.

Believe me, I totally under- stand their desire for a differ- ent “party climate” at SLU. If last weekend’s Raft Day festivities were any reminder, we know that almost too of- ten students may have one too many drinks and end up in a very dangerous situation. These things happen, and they will continue to happen until SLU’s brass decides they want to bring back events that only the pre-Covid laurentians remember.

Often, I hear my upper- classman colleagues and classmates talk about SLU before the Covid restrictions morphed the on-campus ac- tivity scene. Naturally, along with their reminiscing, they mention a handful of events that used to be commonplace on any given weekend. They talk of laser tag, flag football games, and all sorts of things that were able to keep stu- dents safe and entertained. This as well as took a group away from the weekend par- tying for an interval of time.

Every student on campus agrees that there needs to be alternatives, especially at a time where mental health is such an overwhelm- ing concern on the minds of everyone on campus. It’s not a secret that excessive alcohol

consumption can lead to mental health degradation and even worsen the symptoms of mental health disorders.

Not all is critical in regard to this topic though. The past few weeks have provided us with plenty of alternatives to partying on campus. For example, this past Saturday Night after the Raft Day crowd returned to campus, the Association for Campus Entertainment hosted a mini-golf course in the Winston room of the Student Center. The week before that there was a roller blading rink in the exact same space.

Now this isn’t meant to be a hit on party culture. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Plenty of students enjoy that aspect of SLU and it would likely drastically change their experience if it wasn’t there. Rather this is meant to ask the administration for more alternatives.

St. Lawrence University is a wonderful place, and more alternatives could do wonders to make sure that every- one gets to enjoy it equally. Please continue to ask for more, both from your fellow laurentians and from this administration.