Shorter Welcome Week won't prevent parties

MSU administrators are discussing a proposal that would cut Welcome Week by changing the move-in dates for incoming freshmen and transfer students.

The proposed plan would bring new students into the dorms starting Sunday with the first day of class on the following Wednesday.

Administrators cite “the health and safety of students” as the motivating factor behind their decision.

But let’s be honest. The proposal is aiming to eliminate the partying that goes on during the week before classes begin.

By eliminating the number of days to party before classes begin, administrators would be cutting the time students need to adjust to university life, forge friendships and get to know their way around campus and the rest of the city.

That’s also an important part of student health and safety administrators probably haven’t considered.

For some students, this period of adjustment can make or break their outlook on life at MSU. The events that characterize Welcome Week serve as a time to bond with peers and learn about MSU and all it has to offer in terms of clubs, sports and other social groups.

The student that might be unsure about his or her decision to come to MSU could stay or leave depending on the Welcome Week experience.

Academically speaking, cutting two days out of the first week would put all students at a disadvantage. Missed labs and recitations mean lost information that cold be vital to passing the class.

Professors who feel they’ve lost time with the late start might pile on more work the first week of school, instead of gradually introducing their students to the course.

Not to mention the first week of school still would be before Labor Day weekend. That would mean three days of classes the first week and four days of classes the second week — talk about confusing freshmen even more. It would be the third week of class before anyone would attend a Monday recitation or lab.

If the university is adamant about changing the move-in date, it would make more sense to have classes start after Labor Day, as students would have more time to move in and many people trek out of town that weekend anyway. It also would align MSU with some other universities’ schedules.

Moving in early also cuts the amount of time a student’s family has to help them. For out-of-state students, this could be more of a challenge.

But adjusting the dorm schedules won’t eliminate the booze.

For upperclassmen living off campus, the dorm move-in dates wouldn’t affect those contractually bound by their leases. The university can’t control when off-campus students move into their apartments or houses. And because these students are older and have more access to alcohol, this wouldn’t solve the problem of partying.

Instead, the administration is granting upperclassmen an extra two days of debauchery, while eliminating two days for students who actually need the extra time on campus before classes commence.

When all is said and done, students who want to go out and party are going to do so, regardless of what day of the week it is.

Published on Thursday, April 3, 2008