Editorial | Reality check

While Spring Fling 2008 is still almost two weeks away, Quad residents are already frustrated with the inconvenience of bag checks.

Last Thursday, security guards began checking the bags of each student entering the Quad.

Some residents complain that the alcohol checks make them uncomfortable. For others, the checks are simply inconvenient.

These difficulties might be tolerable if they actually helped prevent a significant amount of alcohol from entering the Quad. Instead, the bag-check policy simply encourages massive hoarding.

It reminds students about Fling earlier, resulting in a full three weeks of anticipation and buildup.

Many students even react to the policy by smuggling large amounts of alcohol ahead of time or inventively sneaking bottles past the guards.

Overall, the searches are ineffective. Guards can't examine bags thoroughly without causing a huge bottleneck, and the checks do little to stem the flow of booze.

The policy may have proved necessary years ago to limit student excesses during Fling, but even school officials lauded students last year for exhibiting better behavior.

It's time for the University to let self-control take the place of fruitless bag checks.

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