Penn Task Force?

Hi CC!

I recently saw a petition on Facebook that was talking quite negatively about the creation of of a “Penn Task Force” that is trying to, as the petition stated, “shut down off-campus social life.” It was urging students and alumni to sign in protest of this task force and the negative impacts it has on an important part of the Penn experience, and an aspect that I am sure is quite necessary after a stressful academic week. As a student who is planning on applying Early Decision to Penn, and who was drawn to Penn for (among other reasons) its vibrant social life, I was hoping that current Penn students could touch on what this “task force” does/hopes to accomplish, and what toll it may take on the Penn social life in the foreseeable future.

Sorry if this post seems vague, as I am not very familiar with the motives of the task force and/or any actions it has taken, but I figured it was something worth creating a thread about. Thanks to anyone who has any input!

First link when I searched “upenn task force off campus social life.”

http://www.thedp.com/article/2017/08/task-force-to-be-implemented

It sounds like the university administration is trying to prevent rape, alcohol poisoning, hazing deaths and other negative outcomes associated with a bunch of barely post-adolescent young men and women drinking themselves stupid. What does it say about the people affiliated with this petition, that they believe such changes in behavior and outcomes would constitute the shut down of their social lives?

@millie210 thanks for the link! The people affiliated with the petition are arguing that several off-campus events have been shut down by the “task force” for little to no reason (the creator of the petition said he/she was at a small party that was shut down by police officers in bulletproof vests), and there have even been some off-campus philanthropy events shut down as well. Clearly no one is against trying to prevent rape, alcohol poisoning, and hazing deaths, but I think the point of the petition is that the Penn administration is focusing too much on controlling every aspect of students’ on and off-campus social lives, when those resources could rather be put into other things; the petition said that instead, those resources could go towards improvements in mental health awareness to minimize the number of suicides/year at the university, another problem at universities nationwide. I’m just hoping to hear some current Penn students’ opinions on the goals and actions of the “task force.”

By “Off-campus organizations” they specifically mean the unofficial frats that aren’t recognized by the Greek system along with any student groups that is hazing their freshman class.

I doubt they’re shutting down random parties that have done nothing wrong. It’s more likely that they carded everyone, found someone who was underage at the party, and then shut it down.

@confusedcolleges Most Pennsylvania colleges are cracking down on out of control parties this year. Penn, Lehigh, Lafayette, and Penn State all are.

The behaviors have gotten too risky.

Here is an article from the school newspaper that offers one side of this issue
http://www.34st.com/article/2017/09/why-penns-new-social-event-policies-have-infuriated-students-and-raised-the-cost-of-partying

I have heard from my Son that many parties are getting shut down, and it extends well beyond the off campus fraternities. Sounds like adjustments need to be made to the new policy. They need more people to work the parties, and they need to be swifter in handing out permits. Hopefully, they will figure out a way to properly monitor parties for danger, without shutting them down.