By JESSICA LORD
Staff Writer
 

Let's tackle the first question: "What is Substance-Free Housing?" According to the contract that residents of Cheney have to sign (yes . . . there actually is a contract), Substance-Free Housing is defined by several conditions: 1) residents can not at any time possess alcohol or any other controlled substance in the house 2) residents can not enter the house in an intoxicated state 3) visitors to the house must abide by these same guidelines. To some, this may sound strict. The important thing to note is that all of these guidelines refer to behavior INSIDE of the house and not in any way to behavior outside.

Now who are the people that live in Cheney, and did they choose to do so? Cheney has 39 residents this year: 26 females and 13 males. Every resident that I have spoken to - first-years and upperclassmen - specifically requested to live here. In fact, Keith Tannenbaum, coordinator of housing, stated that there was a significant number of requests for substance-free housing this year. The fact that there are 22 first-years in Cheney this year attests to that. That leads us to the next question: why do people want to live in a unique environment like Cheney? I had the opportunity to ask many of my fellow residents that question. Baldwin's, four year resident of Cheney, said, "I love the atmosphere! Everyone in the house has a common thread: wanting an environment full of respect and fun but free of smoke, alcohol, and other drugs." Shelly's feelings were reiterated by many of the other residents who feel that Cheney provides a clean, quiet (at least most of the time), comfortable living space that is a lot like home.

One first-year male resident stated that he chose substance-free housing because he himself is not a big partier and he thought that it would make him more comfortable to be living with people who felt the same way. Others mentioned the good study conditions, the great lounge and kitchen, the rapport with the other residents of the house, and the option of "partying somewhere else and then coming home" as reasons that they enjoy living in Cheney.

If the residents of Cheney think substance-free housing is great, what do people who live outside of Cheney think? There seems to be some variety in the answers to this question. Many Cheney residents that I spoke with mentioned that a typical response when telling someone that they live in Cheney is: "Oh . . . Cheney. Did you WANT to live there? WHY? What do the people there do for fun?" So perhaps there are some perceptions out there of Cheney residents as socially "different" . . . "perfect" people that are opposed to having fun. Guess what!

No one - including Cheney residents - is perfect. We all have a fair share of tarnish on our halos. We are all college. We work hard, sleep little, and need to let loose every once in a while.

Despite some of the negative perceptions of Cheney and Cheney residents, there are people who view substance-free housing in a more positive light. Two male first-year residents of Cheney said that as members of athletic teams they have never been treated differently by others as a result of their status as "Cheneyites" and that some team members even respect it. Jennifer Edwards '98 and Carin Edwards-Orr '98 told me that although they would not choose to live in substance-free housing, they feel it is an important option to have on campus and that they have many good friends that live in Cheney.

Yes, Cheney is different from the other houses and dorms on campus and the people that live in Cheney might not be just like you. But, the fact that we have many four and three year residents in the house illustrates that substance-free housing appeals to certain people and that residents feel strongly about the yellow house on the hill that they call home. But "different" does not make it "bad", "worse", "good", or "better". It makes it a unique environment that is centered around the concept of respect. Isn't that what we all want in a living situation?