By Vicki Searl, Guest Writer
Many students come to Union to become adults and to grow in responsibility. Then they encounter the plethora of rules that seem to be designed to limit and dictate, including Union’s open dorm policy.
Because they do not always understand where rules are coming from and the blessings of limited open hours, students can easily slip into the attitude that this rule is unreasonable. Our attitude, however, should be one of contentment.
Faculty and staff care about our welfare spiritually, emotionally and academically. As they develop guidelines, they use their knowledge of the consequences of different actions. We would be fools to disregard their wisdom.
We may think we have to only follow rules that we approve or like.
Instead, we should respect those who are in authority. Times may come when people in authority will ask for us to do wrong and we should take a stand, but this is not one of those times.
Thus, as people under authority we have two options: Respectful obedience in words and actions or respectful appeal and then obedience.
Adulthood is about rules. The government and employers can say what their employees will do, where they go and when they leave. Even beyond personal authority, written rules in bylaws and constitutions dictate what even the president of the United States can or cannot do.
These rules are not given because people are not adults or capable of personal responsibility but because community requires them.
If everyone was exactly the same, rules might become unnecessary. Yet, our student body is full of diverse personalities. Rules protect everyone, giving those who desire a place to retreat, and those who desire a party from having to disagree with their roommates constantly.
Opportunities abound to spend time with friends. Despite my love of people, I treasure the peace of my dorm.
Union offers both the blessings of a large community and more intimate community of a suite. Having friends of the opposite sex over changes the atmosphere of a room and alters the feeling of community, particularly if the visitors are strangers.
We should treasure the more intimate community of just roommates.
We must realize that no combination of open and closed dorm-room hours will solve all the difficulties.
Students may want just a few more hours but some of the same complaints that are made about the current rules could be made about any set of open hours.
We should embrace the rules that protect our dorms from becoming lobbies.
Vicki Searl is a sophomore music major.
