Final Draft:Dorm Life

Gina Clementi

3 Strikes Your Out!

I will never forget my first night sleeping in my new room, at St. Johns. For the first time in 18 years, I had to sleep knowing that my parents were not in the other room. The main question that ran through my head was “Was I safe?” Moving away from home, a place where I felt safe for so long was a major step. Safety here at St. Johns is taken very seriously, especially because it is a Catholic university. Living in a Catholic residential village we have many rules that may seem harsh, but they exist for two reasons. We are Catholic institution and our rules must reflect that and they also reflect the fact that the school is located in Jamaica, New York.
After bad past experiences with a former roommate, I fully understand why these rules exist. My former roommate, Diana, would sneak people in through the fire exit, and do illegal things inside of the room. She would bring people into our room that did not attend St. Johns and had put me and my other roommate in uncomfortable situations. After her third offense, she was asked to transfer into another residential hall. She decided the rules were not for her and withdrew from St. Johns. According to St. John’s rules and regulations, after three infractions you are asked to leave the dorms.
The rules that are in affect at St. Johns University are derived from the Vincentian mission. They are in place to encourage moral values and a healthy environment. Many students that attend St. Johns University are not Catholic, but while selecting a Catholic school, they know that they must follow certain guidelines. (Rules and Regulations)
Catholics, in their every day lives, are always following guidelines. They go about everyday with the values that they have been taught. The Catholic Church does not believe in pre-marital sex, and is St. John’s administration will not condone such behavior at a Catholic university.
I conducted interviews to three students that live on campus. The first question asked was, “What is one rule that you do not agree with for the residential village?”
Jackie Loundy, a freshman here at St. Johns, originally from Florida, said that one rule she would change would be to allow commuters the same privileges as residents. Jackie also mentioned that when a commuter visits the dorms they must leave by midnight, or get fined. The only alternative is to move to Montogoris dining hall. She does not feel like this is right, because we are all students at the same school, but we do not all have the same privileges. Jackie makes a very reasonable point. We are all students here and I also agree that we should all have the same privileges.
Jesse Knapton, a freshman from Saranac Lake, said that one rule he would change would be the visitation policy because he believes we are supposed to be responsible adults who are responsible for our actions. He feels trapped, and also feels that as more rules are made, the more prone he is to break them. I feel like this is an unproductive way of thinking of things. If you want something changed say how you feel and talk to someone in residential life.
Daniella Staropoli, a freshman here at St. Johns said that one rule she would change would be the process of signing people in, especially family. Daniella said that she fully understands the reasons behind the rules, but when it comes to family, things should be different. Family is a very important part of our lives, and they should be treated with more respect when visiting. As shun by their responses, these students voice the displeasure with the rules felt by so many residents.
Attending a Catholic university comes along with the responsibilities of following certain rules. Every resident agreed to a contract of rules and regulations that were to be obeyed. Many dormers get frustrated at times, believing that the rules are there to make us mad and to see how far we can go with out getting caught. In many cases, there have been previous incidents may have led the university to make the rules more strict.
Moving from Florida to Jamaica, New York was definitely major transition in my life. It was a shock living in an environment that I was not used to and heard so many negative things about. It makes me feel very comfortable knowing that St. Johns public safety is on call everyday all hours of the day. Many public safety officers are retired NYPD cops, and have much experience in the field of safety. At all times they monitor who is entering and leaving the residential village and this makes me feel comfortable living here.
Attending a Catholic school, involves having a lot of rules. Because Catholics believe in certain things, there are certain rules we must follow that come out of those beliefs. Students who decided to attend a Catholic school knew coming into it that there are certain things that would be expected of them. In the end, the rules and regulations are here to create a safe environment. Considering the neighborhood in which we students live, the rules are here for a visible reason. I sleep better at night knowing that everyone in the residential village is either a St. Johns student or has been approved by public safety.
Citation:
Rules and Regulations: http://www.stjohns.edu/campus/queens/residencelife/prospective/policies.sju