Getting caught drinking on campus (damn u facebook!)

[Glickman]

apparently, someone had pictures of me and friends drinking in a dorm room on facebook with no tag on it, so i never knew the pictures were there.

lo and behold, a month later me and my friends have to go to a "college court" hearing.

i was thinking of wearing slacks and a nice shirt (realizing all i have is jeans then).

any suggestions on this topic?

[MANN]

ohhhhhh sorry . Can they prove that the pics were in their dorms? Maybe say you were at a different college??

I would defiently reccomend that you dress nice, and act as mature/proffesional as you can.

I know that almost all campuses are "dry" campuses however usually they dont care as long as you arent causing trouble. Where do you go?

[SCpoloRicker]

Geez, what is college for if not drinking?

/get off my lawn, etc

[PumpPlayer]

I have some experience in this regard.


The key is not to admit to anything.

Some people in this world are for whatever reason highly opposed to the consumption of alcohol, legal or otherwise. Most of them are simply teetotalers and are polite enough to leave the rest of us alone. Some, however, really get *excited* at the prospect of punnishing other people for daring to enjoy a substance that's been around for thousands of years, is the most prescribed drug in the history of mankind, has been proven to have health benefits, is used in religious, political and social context and so on...

Furthermore, you must remember that punnishment at institutions or within social or extra-political groups such as a university is NOT subject to certain rights and courtesies you as an American citizen would logically assume that you should have. You seldom have the right to an appeal, almost never have the right of representation, probably do not have the right to confront your accuser, do not have the right to make a claim on the chain of evidence or any other such nonsense. Get it out of your head right now that you can beat the system because the system makes their own rules. Often they make them up as they go. Don't fight the system.

Next, chuck your dignity out the window. Forget that, you gotta survive. If you feel that you must hold to certain ethical principles (don't rat out friends, etc.) then by all means do so but do not try to be cool, maintain your dignity or anything of the sort.

Above all, don't argue. The tougher you make this for them, the tougher they're going to make it for you. Be cooperative but stay short of self-incrimination. Be polite but admit to nothing. Let them think that you're trying to help them as much as possible. Fein ignorance or memory loss if you must but at all times smile, be courteous and admit to nothing.

Lastly, they will offer you a sort of plea bargain. The way these things go is that they try to break you down by showing you all the 'evidence' against you and more than likely will mention that other people have dropped your name. They will back you into a corner until you finally give up. At that point, they'll try to show you how compassionate they are and 'make a deal' with you. "Well, ok... we won't kick you out IF..." (give up names, do extra work, go to therapy, sign on the dotted line, etc.) DO NOT take that offer! That is a bargaining chip and it will be in their favor. However, they want to get out of this as quickly as you do. They don't want a potential lawsuit on their hands and you have to remember that this whole thing is a CYA for them.

This is where what you have comes into play...


What do you have in your favor?


1) Demand confidentiality. You are correct in demanding that none of this ever reaches public ears. They will agree. Why? They don't want this in papers any more than you do. Such-and-such school has a drinking problem!!! That's just bad for business and they don't want to have that. You, in return, don't want your name anywhere because it hurts your career opportunities. Secondary effect, the university wants to see you get a good job so that you will be more likely to give them money in the future. Again, demand confidentiality. If you can get it all done off the record, even better. Don't have any recording devices or transcripts if possible. This also helps your chances for an appeal, if you are allowed one.

2) Know that you are wasting their time. This is a hassle for them and you need to remember that. Say things like, "Look, this seems like a misunderstanding. I know you don't want to waste your time on this, so I want to help as much as I can."

3) Know that if they have pics from a myspace page that it was another student who turned you in. Ignorance is your ally. If you had a "party cup" (Solo or the like), deny that there was alcohol in it. Sure, other people were drinking but you're not going to be the party pooper. Plus, it would be wrong for you to turn your friends in, right? Identify any people in pictures but don't recall any other names. Since it was another student who turned you in, speculate that hey, maybe someone is just trying to be a jerk about all this. Who might it be? You don't know. You didn't think you had any enemies. Perhaps someone else in the picture made someone else mad... And you don't really remember that night - it was so long ago - but you guess that if there's pictures then it MUST have happened, right?



Again, be cooperative but admit nothing. Be courteous and helpful but don't give them any useful information. Identify people in photographs but you don't think there was anyone else there.

As for dress, wear the nicest thing you have on hand. Shake hands, make eye contact, smile and pretend that this all must just be a misunderstanding and that you really have nothing to hide.


And again, even if they have you nailed, admit nothing. Bargain for a better deal.

Let us know how it turns out.




/ Anyone else with a MySpace really should delete it. There are reasons other than this that they're bad news.

[Pneumagger]

When I had my college hearing... the only thing they needed for a conviction was... "If they feel more than likely than not you did it, then you did". (straight from the handbook) College judicial boards make up their own rules and know each one there. I hate to be pessimistic, but there are little to no loopholes. Don't try to "beat" them, just dodge them.

Well, being that you are 18yrs old... My advice to you is to NOT ADMIT TO IT! Forget, tell a white lie, "I like driking Coke out of Bud cans", change the subject, etc... Listen to PumpPlayer, that's good advice. Don't sweat it, you more than likely will only have to make a few don't drink posters and be put on housing probation warning.

When I went to my hearing for us being on the roof of the 5 story dorms (don't ask) my 4 roomies and I pulled through unscythed. We had a buddy with us that said he went to school there and lived with us put in a statement saying he was the only one on the roof... a full confession so to speak. Naturally, he goes to another college and doesn't live with us. His name just popped up in the system and checked out because he "used" to live with us before he transferred. It was like something straight from a movie.
Jon Lim... where ever you are, Apartment #5 room 314 loves you always.

In the future... Always use coozies or solo cups and claim you were drinking "sprite", "Coke", "apple juice", etc based on the color of the contents. Then say their information is mistaken, that you are under 21 and would never happen, and whenever you do consume alchohol, you do so in a private property setting under "mature" conditions.
If you have this going for you they cant prove anything.

People should not fear their governments, governments should fear their people.

[Gitaroo Man]

Wow, that's kinda messed up. It was either a teacher or student who did it obviously....and if it were a student that's seriously not cool. Future reference....only let friends take pictures of you drinking in the dorms and when doing it....do it IN NON LABELED CUPS. Therefore, they can't prove anything. I dunno about you but I got to University of Puget Sound (small private school in WA) and in order for the RAs to get you in trouble is they have to see the alcohol. So if there were a plasic red cup on the desk when they open the door you're safe (unless you and your room reak of alcohol) because it could be anything. Same thing with pictures.

So I know this doesn't help your current situtation but it's for the future. Just put the stuff in red cups or glasses.

[PyRo]

I had somthing similar happen. We were doing somthing which I will not mention. A friend of mine took a picture and posted it on myspace. Someone then saw it and a whole big thing ensued. Be carefull who you trust, some people are just plain dumb.

[Pneumagger]

Just say it was O'douls. Then your safe!

[Gitaroo Man]

Just a sidenote...heh...you still have to be 21 to buy and drink non alcholic beer (at least in California) because it has small trace bits of alcohol in it.

[Glickman]

the "theres no alcohol in it" doesnt work because were not allowed to have open/empty alcoholic themed containers, and we were told we would be charged when we got here despite whats in it.

i wont dispute that it was a smirnoff ice (easy to see ) to try to make it as easy on them as possible i guess.

ill tell them i know it was wrong, but it was in the safest possible enviroment, just a few friends in a dorm room, rather than much more dangerous possibilities that are done every day.



[ rant ]

ive been told it was a student who did this by the department of res-life, and i cant explain my contempt for people who taddle on people for drinking in a safe enviroment, where noone else is being affected just because they dont have the balls to pal around with some guys and girls.

[ /rant ]

[SCpoloRicker]

Wait, Smirnoff Ice?!

Smirnoff Ice?!?

You should have your alcohol priveledges suspended on principle!

[Draken]

Wait, Smirnoff Ice?!

Smirnoff Ice?!?

You should have your alcohol priveledges suspended on principle!

OFT!!!!

[gimp]

hahaha, smirnoff ice. Just tell them you thought it was candy.

You should be grateful to the person who found the picture of you drinking smirnoff ice on the internet. Now you can take it down to hide the shame.

+1 on revoking your alcohol priveledges for drinking smirnoff ice, geez.

[Glickman]

hahaha, smirnoff ice. Just tell them you thought it was candy.

You should be grateful to the person who found the picture of you drinking smirnoff ice on the internet. Now you can take it down to hide the shame.

+1 on revoking your alcohol priveledges for drinking smirnoff ice, geez.

ouch

to our credit though, we also had corona, real limes (though we lacked a cutting board, so bloody fingers ensued , Yeung-Ling, and coors light (piss)

but yes, the pictures were indeed of smirnoff rasperry ice

[SCpoloRicker]

Yuengling was your only good call, young Padawan.