Dorm-Leave Time Delayed By One Hour
The faculty voted overwhelmingly in favor of the deans’ proposal to change the time students are allowed to leave the dorm from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Though the change will not impact most of the student body, some voiced concerns about sports practice times and the possible impact on student freedom.
The faculty held a voice vote on the proposal. “What happens during a voice vote is that the principal says, ‘All those in favor of the proposal signify by saying ‘aye,’ ” Dean of Faculty Ellen Wolff explained. “Then people in favor of the proposal all say ‘aye.’ Then the principal ask those who are opposed to say ‘No.’ On this vote, the ‘ayes’ were significantly louder than the ‘no’s.’ ”
According to Dean of Residential Life Carol Cahalane, the administration is not sure when they will implement the change.
Amen Dorm Faculty and Senior Associate Director of Admissions Lee Young said, “A question was posed about whether we are just making the changes or if we are going to get student input, and the sentiment was that the adults would make the decision because we know what’s best for the students and their safety.”
The dorm heads have been discussing changing the dorm leave time since last year, with student safety as the primary motivation. “From my perspective, the most important question when determining the morning hour when students may leave the dorm is student safety: how much daylight can we expect, how many people are around to offer assistance if there is a problem,” Cahalane said.
Another factor contributing to the change was ‘5s’ when students leave the dorms at 5:00 a.m. to get illegal visitations. “I do believe that student abuses of the trust granted with the current time may be a factor for [many faculty members] as they consider the question,” Cahalane said.
Dean of Studies and Academic Affairs Brooks Moriarty noted that these illegal visitations were a factor in faculty taking notice of the dorm leave time. “The only reason why anyone is aware of the 5:00 a.m. rule is because students talk about 5s, which is not something we endorse,” he said. “I’ve been here 11 years now, and I didn’t know about the 5:00 a.m. rule until I heard students talking about 5s.”
With the new change, leaving the dorms before 6:00 a.m. could result in disciplinary action. “If a student leaves the dormitory prior to the allowed time, that could lead to a major disciplinary case for absence from the dormitory,” Cahalane said. “The specific consequences for students are determined on a case-by-case base.”
Moriarty supported the change. He said the current rule “defies common sense.” Moriarty added, “There’s nothing open on campus at that time; it’s safer for students to be out and about when there are places to go,” he said.
Some dorm heads view the change as a positive step for the community. Wentworth Dorm Head and Computer Science Instructor Sean Campbell stated that the proposal would “improve student safety and promote a healthier school culture.”
Dow House Dorm Head and French Instructor Amadou Talla agreed, and appreciated the flexibility that the new rule still lent for students should they absolutely need to leave earlier. “I like the possibility that exists for students to get permission to leave the dorm before 6:00 a.m. if they have a valid reason to do so,” he said. “It makes this new change less restrictive.”
In addition to the positives of this rule change, some have voiced concerns about how it will affect sports teams, especially those that have early practice sessions. “Having the option of practicing in the morning is really crucial in making the most of our practices, since our workouts are often determined by the tide,” upper and crew coxswain Katya Davis said. “If the new rule were to make it so that we were unable to have those practices, it would definitely impact the crew team more than other sports.”
According to upper and rower Alex Urquhart, the new rule would reduce morning practices from an hour to half an hour. “We don’t have morning practices that often, but they are pretty crucial to our success as a team,” he said. “If I’m not able to be with my team in the boat right before a race, fine-tuning each and every movement, I wouldn’t feel as confident in our success.”
Athletic Advisor Shaun Fishel, however, noted that the dorm leave change will likely only affect the crew team. “The fitness center doesn’t open until 6:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, so I don’t see this proposal affecting students’ ability to work out in the fitness center in the morning,” he said.
Urquhart expressed a lack of confidence in how the school will grant requests to leave the dorms early. “I’ve heard that you can inform the dorm faculty the night before if you need to get up early for these practices, but it creates a hassle for everyone involved…I fear that the school may be unwilling to grant opportunities for these morning practices and workouts,” he said.