Nicholas Acker Student Choice #2: Campus Rights

When a student leaves for college it is a rite of passage on the journey to adulthood. I came to this university in hopes of freedom and new experiences, unhindered by the constraints of living at home with parents. This is not to say that I planned on coming here and having the freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want. But as Americans we have inherent rights, and I feel as though we have to sign away most of our newfound freedom just to become members of the CNU community, as the university says. We sign an honor code to become a member of this community, but the faculty is not held to that same standard and not even required to sign the code. We pay for police salaries, but the officers are more focused on busting parties where kids are drinking than stopping the robberies that occur on campus all too often. The community service performed for violations that is supposed to be a student giving back what they took away from the university is spent at the President’s house, cleaning up after his parties and mulching his lawn (personal experience). The room that I call home here, which I pay an unreasonable amount to live in, can be searched unwarranted by the police and the residents evicted. We pay for this college experience, in hopes that these 4 years will be both a learning experience and a memorable time. It seems that every other student receives sanctions from the university for partaking in every aspect of the college experience besides going to class. We are adults in the eyes of society, it’s time the university truly realizes this and treats us accordingly.