SUBSTANCE-FREE HOUSING A STUDENT IDEA

Dear Editor:

I appreciate somewhat the point of view adopted by the staff of The Phoenix
in their editorial about Substance-Free Housing (SFH) ("No need for
substance-free housing," Feb. 20, pg. 14). It is possible that a stigma of
some sort could develop in the eyes of people not in touch with
Swarthmore's culture for people not living in SFH, though I do not think
many such people would make the leap from "does not live in SFH" to "crack
addict." However, the rest of the objection put forward by the staff is
wrongheaded, which they would know if they had attended Housing Committee.

As a member of Housing Committee, I can tell you that it was expressly the
concern of the Housing Committee and the deans that the RA(s) of SFH not
become "DEA enforcers 24/7." Such a role, we all felt, was extremely
inappropriate for an RA, and we discussed many ways of implementing SFH to
avoid such a situation. The proposal adopted by the Housing Committee and
the deans is that the role of the RA in SFH will differ minimally from the
role of an RA in a smoke-free hall, with the "enforcement" of
substance-free rules resting on the substance-free community more generally.

Further, I am amazed to see the misperceptions on campus about the origins
of SFH. The idea was first proposed by students, not the administration.
Housing Committee conducted a survey of the classes of 2004, 2005 and 2006,
many of whom indicated that they would, indeed, like to see SFH on campus.
SFH is not the administration's "simplistic institutional solution" or
"face-saving measure," but rather an option that members of the student
body want.

To get some issues straight: SFH will be offered in Woolman next year. (See
story, pg. 4.) Students will have to apply for SFH in a manner very similar
to applying for a block. To apply for SFH is to agree to abide by the rules
that the SFH community will decide upon next fall. If there are not enough
applications for SFH to fill the space with people who want to be there,
there will be no SFH. That means no one will be forced to live there -- SFH
will only exist if the student body demonstrates a desire for it.

Even if you or I would not choose to live in SFH, we are not in a position
to say that there is "no need" for the people who would.

David January '03