You will dread it. You will despise it. You will come to fear.... the Office of Residence Life and Housing. And not just because they won't let you triple bunk.You have dreamt for 18 years of that distant world of individual freedom, that world where laundry did not have to be done, where money was not a problem - not one that you would acknowledge, anyway -and where the only responsibility you had was to have fun.Well, it's here. You have the power to do whatever you want with your life. Want to lift weights? There are two athletic facilities. Want to study in a quiet place for that big test on Monday? Go to the Hesburgh Library. Want to go to a Flipside event? Don't. They aren't fun.Flipside is led by admirable students who believe you can have just as much fun without alcohol in a social setting. Sobriety is cool.As much as I would like to support this cause due to its moral soundness, most students would and do "respectfully disagree."So this is where ResLife (many students' affectionate name for the organization) comes in.They agree with Flipside, wherein lies the problem for many drinkers, or, in their words, "raging alcoholics." Watch your back and keep a copy of du Lac handy at all times. You never know when you may be breaking a rule, crossing the line or - gasp - having fun.
Pat Leonard is a sports writer and a three-time visitor (but just two-time offender) to ResLife. He can be contacted at pleonard@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer
