By  Bianca Bailey (Whetstone Staff Writer)

 

Students can now be a Good Samaritan and vote with their feet, thanks to changes in this year’s student handbook.

Some people like the changes, others not so much.

The “Good Samaritan” rule addresses the problem of a student afraid to report a problem because he or she may be afraid of getting into trouble.

For instance, the handbook suggests (p. 38), “A student is reluctant to report that he/she has been sexually assaulted because he/she had been consuming alcohol and is under the age of 21.”

“It’s something that many people often did anyway,” senior Jasmine Burris said. “I doubt there are many people who would just leave a friend in distress.”

The “Vote with Your Feet” rule passed to help stop fighting on campus.

The new rules says that if students witness a Wesley rule being broken and do not report it, they can be cited for “failure to comply.”

Administrators and security can access who may or may not know information by the use of surveillance cameras.

Many of the resident assistants say they believe that it is a good rule.

“I like the new rule,” said senior Wesley Dessesow. “We are generally the first investigator at the scene of an incident and this helps point us in the right direction.”

Dessesow said that it also helps students realize how important what they say is.

“It gives the student a role in their own destiny,” he said. “Like whether they choose to do what’s right or not.”

Freshman Keroll Newby said that there is big drawback to the new rule.

“I agree with making students responsible for the situations that they witness or take part in,” he said. “However, students who may tell what they saw can be targeted by the students who may get in trouble.”

Dealing with fighting in the past has been difficult because of the amount of people who refuse to say what they saw.

Mary Alice Ozechoski, dean of students, said she believes that it is a great addition.

“When violence is present on campus, it affects everyone,” she said. “Part of being an adult is to be responsible for the environment you live in and wanting to change it for the better. In the real world, if you do not comply with a police investigation, you can be charged with an obstruction of justice, so something like this is preparation for the real world.”