Where Boys Should Be Men

It's time to set the record straight on Tippetts Hall. Around campus, I've heard slander of the dorm: how it's a disaster wherein ninth-graders raise hell and cause anarchy. So, naturally, my pride takes a hit whenever I hear that my home of the last two years is being uncharacteristically disrespected. This year, however, a few isolated incidents have unfortunately tainted the dorm’s reputation, destabilizing our living culture.

Entering this school year, I dreamed of becoming the perfect Prefect, a big brother to the lower classmen. Yet as it turned out, I've become Big Brother, himself. From roommate conflicts to bathroom bombs, Tippetts has turned into quite the handful- in both a good and bad way.

Given that the majority of our incoming students weren’t able to learn through an in-person middle school experience, the ninth-graders still require much more time to acclimate to the boarding school lifestyle. To some extent, we should allow them second chances to learn from their mistakes. However, since we’re already half-way through the school year, we must address the more serious offenses. 

Someone going “number one” in the third stall is one thing, but extreme offenses not receiving repercussions opens the door for chaos to break loose. Although I am a fierce advocate for second chances, our community must have a zero-tolerance policy for violence, theft, and bigotry. By not responding to these offenses with appropriate punishments, we, as student leaders and faculty, are setting an incredibly dangerous precedent. 

That being said, it is virtually impossible to micromanage every single student in our dorms. At the end of the day, we must respect our residents as young adults and their social independence. Ultimately, no single person is to blame here: not the students, not the Prefects, not the dorm deans, and not the Office of Student Life. As young adults, we’re bound to make the occasional mistake, but it’s all about how we overcome, learn from our mistakes, and come together as a community. Kudos to our dorm deans and the Office of Student Life for putting up with our shenanigans. 

Nevertheless, what we condone and condemn as upper-level students sets the tone for future school leaders, thus continuing dorm culture for future classes. Again, these isolated offenses simply do a complete disservice to the Tippetts that I’ve known for the past two years. Tippetts Hall and our school as a whole can only be as good as we make it, so let's re-establish a healthy dorm culture.