Underage drinking found at off-campus O-Week party

By Sarah Rutledge     8/21/08 7:00pm

Orientation Week is the only week of the year in which on-campus residents are expected to follow a strict dry policy, meaning that they will not consume alcohol from midnight the Saturday prior to O-Week to the following Saturday at noon.But it appears a group of students this week did not bother to read the fine print. Assistant Dean of the Student Judicial Program Don Ostdiek confirmed that a group of students participated in a party earlier this week.

Though Ostdiek could not release the type of organization these students were a part of due to confidentiality, he said the group included freshmen.

Ostdiek said he could not release the college or colleges with freshmen involved in the party, though he said cases like this would generally be referred to University Court.

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Girls varsity soccer team captain Christine Petric declined to comment on the incident. She said she did not know enough about the event to feel comfortable talking about it. Petric, a Martel College senior, said she would speak to head soccer coach Christy Sims Thurs. and would call the Thresher that morning about the incident. She failed to do so.

O-Week Coordinator Megan Hermance said she did not know the details of the incident, but that O-Week is dry and that freshmen are not allowed off campus without having at least informed their advisers.

"If something like that [an off-campus party involving athletes] were to happen, it'd be a judicial issue and it'd be the responsibility of athletics to diagnose it and figure out what the sanctions would be," Hermance, a Baker College senior, said.

Assistant Athletic Director Chuck Pool said the speculation was news to him.

"I haven't heard anything regarding [an off-campus party with freshmen]," Pool said. "You can't spend a lot of time on rumors."

Pool did not return a call to the Thresher clarifying whether or not a Rice soccer team was involved in an off-campus party this week.

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