PARTY, PARTY, PARTY… NO MORE GETTING WASTED

University issues moratorium on campus parties and demands students show respect.

By: By: Anessa Hodgson and Raphael Clifton

Posted: 3/8/10

University officials have cancelled all on-campus parties after a student brawl broke out in the Student Union Building several weeks ago.

Most of the fighting was precipitated because of significant amounts of alcohol consumption, according to university officials. The Department of Public Safety arrested several students for underage drinking, disorderly conduct, and fighting. While many students were involved in the fighting, not all were apprehended. Two females were rushed to the hospital for alcohol related illnesses.

The festivities were sponsored by the Student Government Association and Public Safety officers were at the party, but students have complained that there were not enough officers present to control the hostile crowd.

Following, the melee, the university swiftly issued a moratorium, prohibiting all on- campus parties. The university took away this privilege with the hope that it would influence a change in behavior.

In recent years, university administrators and Public Safety officers have grown increasingly concern with the lack of respect students exhibit on campus towards authority, their peers, and themselves.

"Too much alcohol, too much disrespect for each other on campus, they like public display of anger and aggression," said Lincoln's Police Chief Larry J. Woods.

Woods believes that the root of the problems related to violence and disorderly conduct on campus is drugs and alcohol.

"We need our favorite drink and our favorite smoke. Drinking only makes you aggressive," Woods said. "Do we care about the environment we are in? Do we care? It's called civility. Why can't we be civil?"

Thelma Ross, Interim Dean of Students at Lincoln is the one responsible for issuing the moratorium. Ross shares the same sentiment as Woods and said that she holds the students accountable for their behavior.

"Each student controls their own behavior," Ross said, adding that she has not determined a specific length of time before she lifts the moratorium.