Student parties face new penalties

Chapman students hold a party despite recent threats. Photo by Kate DeSalvo

Throwing an off-campus party could now result in extra punishment for students who live in Orange.

From Sept. 1 to 10, Orange Police Department (OPD) received 33 disturbance calls, otherwise known as party calls, said Sgt. Fred Lopez, public information officer for OPD.

Jerry Price, vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, said Chapman will begin enforcing sanctions against students who repeatedly host off-campus parties that disrupt the community.

“I just don’t like the idea of a student’s enrollment status being jeopardized because of these off-campus parties, but unfortunately the warnings and other things alone didn’t seem to be having much of an effect,” Price said.

Previously, probation with loss of privileges had only been used for on-campus violations. However, after more than 30 party-related disturbances, the administration decided to apply the penalty to off-campus conduct violations in hopes that it will encourage residents to become more mindful of the size and intensity of their parties.

Students who receive this punishment will no longer be allowed to participate in activities in their Greek organizations, clubs, leadership positions or athletic teams, Price wrote in an email sent to the student body.

Price said the probationary period can range from one semester to one year, depending on the case. Each case is reviewed and judged by members of the conduct board comprised of students.

When residents call OPD with a complaint, OPD sends two officers to the house that received the complaint. If it’s a Chapman-related party, OPD calls Public Safety to assist.

“It does drain our limited resources,” Lopez said.

Lieutenant Craig Lee, community service liaison for Public Safety, said his office works for the students, not against them. When they arrive at the scene, officers write a detailed description of what happened and report back to the Dean’s Office.

“We’re there to document what happened,” Lee said. “Residents will like to blow things way out of proportion.”

Many Orange homeowners are nonetheless dissatisfied with the response by OPD and Public Safety. Melissa Cruz, a 2008 Chapman alumna and graphic design major, lives near many of the party houses.

“Calling OPD hasn’t been helpful. It’s just gotten worse and worse every year,” she said.

Many students argue that because their houses are off-campus and not owned by the school, Chapman has no jurisdiction over them.

“I rent [my property] through another landlord, and if she wants to come here and tell me what to do, fine, because it’s her property, but Chapman has zero right,” said Anne Swenson, a sophomore art history major.

What Public Safety calls an assist, many students, including junior public relations and advertising major Lilli Weiner, call harassment.

“[Public Safety] needs to figure out more important things to do like people around the corner are doing drug deals who don’t go to Chapman,” she said.

Read the editorial “Chapman party policy is inconsistent”.