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TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

Alcohol violations reach all-time high

Alcohol+violations+reach+all-time+high

Alcohol violations are at an all-time high, according to the TCU Annual Security Report.

The total number of violations on campus has increased, rising from 769 in 2015 to 771 for 2016.

However, the number of violations recorded inside student housing facilities decreased from 749 in 2015 to 600 in 2016.

Craig Allen, director of Housing and Residence Life, said the majority of violations in campus housing are made by first-year students. He also said it is possible that this year’s decrease in violations may be related to the smaller size of 2016’s incoming class.

When asked about the prevalence of a drinking culture in TCU housing, Allen said it is likely less strong in TCU housing than off-campus, and that the environment in residence halls is positive and fosters a close-knit community.

Allen also said that resident assistants play a roundabout role in discouraging drinking in dorms.

“The single most important thing that we do and it might feel contradictory to how we achieve results is we let RAs know they’re not police,” said Allen. “Their job is just to get to know students — to build a relationship with them.”

Allen said their focus is less on decreasing the specific number of violations than it is on making students aware of the serious, and sometimes tragic, real-life consequences of consuming alcohol.

One RA in Marion Hall, Garrett Gomez, said that while dealing with alcohol situations can be tricky, the positive culture of TCU housing makes confronting alcohol in the dorms a little easier.

“My residents respect me and I respect them back,” the junior Spanish & Hispanic Studies and English double major said. “We hang out as friends and I also get to coach them.”

Gomez said the training he received from Housing and Residence Life at the beginning of the year helped adequately prepare him on how to deal with alcohol in the dorms.

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