Learn to take responsibility

So your neighbor down the hall had a few too many and broke your favorite lampshade. The guy living above you has repeatedly ignored your requests to stop playing Bon Jovi at full volume at 3 o'clock each morning. Perhaps you're sure that one of your classmates stole your textbooks. \nThere are things you can do about these potential peer problems when diplomacy fails. According to the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibility and Conduct, "... if the student is unable to resolve the matter on an informal basis, the student may file a formal complaint with the dean of students." \n But now a new program is in the works.\n Chris Maher, director of the Department of Student Rights, plans to create a peer mediation program that would bring students face-to-face to talk out their problems before any formal action is taken. \n This is not a new idea; similar programs have been implemented at Northwestern University and the University of Montana.\n At IU, a formal complaint is the first official action required to begin adjudication in the University justice system. Still, the student code suggests trying to "resolve the matter by making an informal complaint to the student involved." In other words, "try to work it out yourselves first."\n... Which is exactly what the peer mediation program would do -- have students work out their problems before taking their claims to the University. Maher hopes the program will keep minor violations off students' records -- violations that could have a detrimental effect on students' chances of getting into graduate programs. \nBut is this necessary? Aren't we adults?\n"Law school is pretty competitive," Maher said for a Sept. 10 IDS article. "And it's ridiculous that a student would have a blemish on their academic record just because of a silly fight they got into at the dorms."\nIf Billy wants to get into Harvard, maybe he should be more discreet about playing beer pong in the dorms.\nPamela Freeman, director of student ethics, said she is just as concerned about these incidents, but does not believe the problem is as extensive as Maher described it.\n"I don't agree that some students have been unfairly prevented from getting into law school or other programs," she said. "We don't ruin peoples' record for minor violations."\nExactly.\nStill, would peer mediation draw the line at minor incidents? If students are let off the hook for large violations, then suddenly nobody is responsible for his or her own actions.\nWe're not in high school anymore, and when we finally leave college and enter the "real world" -- however you may define it -- no counselor or mediator is going to be there to help us work out our differences prior to a party taking legal action. \nThe institution proposed by the Department of Student Rights looks good at first glance, but the "service" would only coddle us, delaying maturity and responsibility instead of teaching it.\nIf applied, this program should be limited to infractions not specified in the student code or a counseling program used at the discretion of the dean of students.