Safety Buckles on Campus

University officials informed Alumni Square residents last month that — if they’re not careful — their social activities could lead to catastrophe.

The cause for concern is an incident which took place during a party last October, when the romping of raucous partygoers in one Alumni Square apartment room resulted in the buckling of that residence’s floor.

Surely the students at the party did not damage their apartment and place their friends’ safety at risk on purpose. Students have every reason to suspect that their housing could indeed withstand the sound and fury of a Georgetown party, because they are never told otherwise. Any comprehensive solution by the university must include a means of better informing students in university housing about the structural details and occupancy requirements of their residences.

The reaction by Karen Frank, vice president for facilities and student housing, was to impose a voluntary cap on apartment occupancy. Her new — albeit temporary — policy states rather conservatively that no more than 25 students should be allowed in any Alumni Square apartment until further notice. Students’ lives are more important than any party. Still, Frank’s decision is quite reactionary and hints at a larger problem: The university does not release to students information about the structural details of any its housing facilities.

Until the university resolves the situation in Alumni Square and conducts comprehensive inspections of all its apartment complexes, the precautions taken by Frank can and should be extended to other areas as well. There are other campus housing complexes which attract large numbers of people on the weekends.

The university’s apartment complexes at Nevils, Village A and Henle Village all see their fair share of parties and are older than Alumni Square. Many university townhouses are older than other structures available to students for housing. A fresh coat of paint every year cannot hide the fact that many of these old buildings are past their prime. Might these too be catastrophes waiting to happen?

Students in all apartments and townhouses should have been notified of the events in Alumni Square so that they, too, can be mindful of the events that take place in their living quarters. Information about fire codes, occupancy capacities and weight limits should be readily accessible to all students.

Currently, any student wishing to find such information would have trouble doing so; as it is not included in occupancy agreements or listed on the university housing Web site.

Just as university officials provide students with a list of regulations and penalties pertaining to alcohol, party notification and behavior, the university should also provide students with information about occupancy limits and the potential consequences for exceeding them.

Students should not be expected to be exclusively responsible for their safety, but with the right information, students can take measures to ensure that they can have fun safely.