Putting Safety First: Medical Amnesty and You

Fellow Denisonians,

One of the key issues in the Campus Affairs Council right now is the idea of medical amnesty, a policy that promises protection from disciplinary action to intoxicated students who seek out medical help themselves or have help sought for them by others. This policy has been modeled after policies at other universities, and its intention is to set as first priority the health of Denison students.

This is a policy that I whole-heartedly support. When a student is deciding whether or not it is appropriate to get medical help for a friend, that student should be taking into consideration only the health of that friend -- not worries about getting the friend in trouble. As an RA, I can rest assured with this policy knowing that my residents will contact me if they are in danger; indeed, without it I may not be contacted when my residents need me simply because they fear punitive action. This obviously hampers my ability to perform my job to assist residents.

Having sat in on Campus Affairs Council for the past semester, I know I can ensure that this proposal is swiftly enacted into policy so that the health and safety of students is held as paramount.

Your Representative,

Eric "Harry" Brisson
DCGA Senator, Class of 2011