Good Choices
Matthew Miller
Peabody Hall, Room L323
Dear Matthew:
Making good choices is an important part of your job as a college student. On Friday, September 22, 2006 you did not make a good choice by entering a fraternity house that was accepting money for alcohol being served on its premises. It is a violation of state law and University policy to use, consume, possess, sell or purchase alcohol when you are under the age of twenty-one.
In addition, your personal safety was at risk by being in a building that was not equipped to handle 220 people. The fire safety equipment was not working and there were not enough exits to allow everyone to leave safely in the event of an emergency.
As an administrator I am concerned most about your safety. It scares me to think what might have happened that evening if a fire had erupted in that house. I want to see every student succeed at Temple University and become leaders and positive role models.
I have decided not to proceed with disciplinary action against you. I feel that we have a great opportunity to educate students as a result of this incident and am confident that you will make better choices in the future. Please review the University Alcohol Policy as well as the Student Code of Conduct. Both of these can be found on the policies webpage at http://policies.temple.edu.
If you would like more information on healthy choices and alternatives to drinking please contact the Campus Alcohol and Substance Awareness program through Tuttleman Counseling Services. They can be reached via phone at (215) 204-7276. In addition there are a variety of late night programs that are offered each week as alternatives to drinking. Please check the website for the Office of Student Activities at www.temple.edu/sac for a complete schedule of these activities.
I hope that you have learned from this experience and will make better choices in the future. Please contact me if you would like to receive additional information about this matter or about alcohol-free programming. I can be reached via e-mail at @temple.edu or via phone at (215) 204-8531.
Sincerely,
Assistant Dean of Judicial Affairs
I liked the preview title, Matt Dodges a Bullet”, better … Small caliber, perhaps (or perhaps not).
I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that there’s a Dean (with assistant deans) of Judicial Affairs, but it is to me. Alas. ‘Til the end of time, probably, kids will do things they shouldn’t, with that itself chiefly the reason often enough. But never mind Judicial Deans. It’s what you reason with yourself afterwards that matters, as much as what choices (or abdications — another choice) were made that got you there. Semantics and fine points of law are for Heads of State and other politicians, who have abdicated integrity. Was your best vision of yourself in play throughout, and if at any time not, why not and what next?
But I do wonder what the actions against the frat will be (if any). Matt’s arguably overly-fine-point assertion that proof of inebriation, achieved there or elsewhere, was absent, goes only to one issue — the college seems to know that unlicensed individuals were selling alcohol to minors, clearly actionable.
Comment by el Kib — October 20, 2006 @ 8:07 am
Temple seems to be more proactive (I hate that word) than the Univ of MD is regarding frat houses. Glad to see they are giving Matt & his friends another chance, and also cracking down on egregious drinking.
Comment by rakkity — October 20, 2006 @ 11:57 am