Security
Concerns Make-Over Drag Ball, Limit Attendance
by Blake Rehberg
After
an alleged staff-on-staff rape outside last years Drag Ball
and an increasingly high rate of intoxication related trips to the
Emergency room, the College, working with a joint student and staff
committee, has made several changes to Saturdays high-profile
annual event.
There have been several events over the years that have suggested
to us that we need to have a better idea of and more confidence
in the people attending Drag Ball, Dean of Students Peter
Goldsmith said. By that I mean we need to have some confidence
that the people admitted are coming to Drag Ball with the appreciation
for and understanding of what it is about. We dont need voyeurs,
gawkers and people that simply believe that it is a whopping good
party.
In recent months there have been several incidents of assault and
theft on campus, raising serious security concerns. As a consequence,
The Office of Safety and Security played a more active role in planning
Drag Ball. Safety and Security and the 15-member Drag Ball committee
composed of students and faculty decided to limit non-student attendance,
provide more safety oriented education prior to the event, and train
peacekeepers for security. Throughout the planning, members of the
committee squared off against members of the Administration over
issues of safety and security.
Our main issue this year has been with the guest policy,
senior Erin Shiba said. The College has been very concerned
about liability specifically with people who are not members of
Oberlin College.
We get a lot of participation from the drag communities from
Cleveland and Columbus, Associate Director of the Student
Union and Drag Ball committee member Chris Baymiller said.
Over the years we have had a really vibrant non-college participation
that has come and has been welcomed and have been vital members
of evening. It really contributed a lot. They always come in drag
and fully immerse themselves in the experience, Baymiller
said.
I feel that because its the one big party on campus
people are going to come regardless of what its supposed to
mean or what education we are trying to present here, Shiba
said. Were just trying to make sure that they respect
what were trying to open up to a great community here.
This event is unique to colleges across the country,
Baymiller said. We have people calling from Wooster. We have
people calling from Hiram. We have people calling from Ohio University
that want to bring people, that cant have these events on
their campus for whatever reason, and they come to ours.
The Theme for this years Drag Ball is Film Noir. The event
will take place this Saturday in Wilder, and tickets are currently
on sale at the Wilder desk.
|