By Kristin Shrewsbury
Collegian Staff
The University of Massachusetts at Amherst administration implemented a new policy yesterday stating that all amplified music will be turned off by 11 p.m. during all residential spring programming events.
Outraged members of the Student Government Association Senate met last night to discuss the University’s decision. Members discussed the severity of the situation in specific relations to Southwest Week and Orchard Hill’s Bowl Weekend.
“This is bull-shit, and we’re getting screwed over once again by the administration,” Speaker Aaron Saunders said. “I met with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Javier Cevallos and other administrators and they told me about their new policy of cutting off all music at 11 p.m. for all spring events,” Saunders said. “They said that they have an ordinance from the city of Amherst. I was told we (the University) need to be good neighbors, but there will be music after 11 p.m.”
Saunders further explained that the University had crossed a line by implementing a new policy, and more specifically by not conversing with students and the SGA before doing so.
“There is a line that the administration doesn’t usually cross and they crossed it,” Saunders said. “Quiet hours don’t even begin until midnight on the weekends, and now the University is going to be faced with 5,000 students looking for something to do when they get cut off after just getting into the night.”
Issues surrounding concerns of last year’s Southwest Week were also stated by the administration and brought before the Senate.
“This is coming out of left field because there were no real problems last year,” Kerry Mulcahy, SCERA Director and former Governor of Southwest said. “Seven thousand students showed up to Dispatch last year, and know one from the Campus Activities Office showed up, and we only had hired two police officers. We called them the next day requesting more, and they didn’t send any.”
Mulcahy further explained that she felt the recent decision to be impulsive and unfair to the student body.
“I feel at this point it would be so rude to implement this policy, because no one is aware of it,” Mulcahy said. “This is the one good thing we have going for us right now and people have been working so hard to make these events possible for the students. “
Questions also arose about whether or not the planned spring musical events will take place due to the new policy.
“They’re letting everyone plan things, but they’ll probably pull something out of their ass at the last minute,” Mulcahy said.
Further issues kept members of the SGA also busy, one being the administration’s recent decision to not allow candles in dorm rooms this coming fall in a response to taking fire safety more seriously.
“The administrations new way with cracking down on fire hazards is to eliminate candles,” Saunders said. “The administration is trying to play mommy and daddy, and most of us are over 18 and I think we’re responsibly enough to have candles in our rooms. Their job is to make sure that the fire alarms work and that we will be safe, not take on the job of our parents.”
Senate members also discussed issues surrounding the new alcohol policy by presenting a motion stating that a student cannot be penalized for having an empty container of alcohol in their room.
“We’re doing Javier Cevallos a favor by passing this motion, we’re saving him time and paper work for the future,” Senator Dan Saunders said.
The Senate passed the motion unanimously.
“This is one of those gray areas in the new alcohol policy that needed to be addressed,” Saunders said. “It needed to be stated explicitly that having empty containers is not a violation of the alcohol policy.”