College of the Holy CrossCampus Strictness Summary

Written by Audrey Gehring

Audrey Gehring

Hometown

Madison, WI

Major

English/Religious Studies

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Some students find Public Safety’s enforcement of rules oppressive, while others find them extremely lax. It seems pretty safe to say that as long as you don’t openly break the rules, you won’t run into trouble. On campus, students under 21 are prohibited from having alcohol in their rooms, while students over 21 can have a case of beer or one half-gallon of liquor per person. The former rule is more enforced than the latter. However, as long as alcohol is kept responsibly—i.e., not displayed prominently or not part of loud and crazy goings on—you generally won’t be harassed for having it in your room underage. Alcohol violations are generally dealt with by ResLife, and punishments range from attending an alcohol-awareness program to performing community service to losing campus housing, depending on the nature of the offense and the student’s past record.

Off campus, the Worcester Police Department is responsible for patrolling, which they do inconsistently. A loud and obnoxious party might be ignored one night, but the next night, a small and quiet gathering might be raided. The police have been known to arrest students on charges of disturbing the peace or possessing an open container outdoors. Mass arrests have also occurred—the police show up and arrest all attendees at a party. This has resulted in not only a less-boisterous party scene but also strained relations between the city and the College.