Students punished after stripper pole party

[UMSonOfMan7]

Students punished after stripper pole party

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) -- Three students at Jacksonville University have been punished for installing a stripper pole in an on-campus apartment and taking pictures as fully clothed women performed on it at a party. A female student who won a dance contest also was disciplined.

About a dozen women competed for a $100 Victoria's Secret gift certificate September 11, said James Foster, a 20-year-old who hosted the party. None of the women disrobed.

The men bought the steel pole from The Home Depot, bolted it to the concrete ceiling and attached the bottom to a plywood stage covered in red felt.

"Honestly, we just wanted to say we had a stripper pole," Foster said. "We never actually expected girls to dance on it."

When university officials ordered the men to remove the pole, they complied, but not before building a huge party around it.

Signs reading "Pole Dancers Wanted" were posted around campus and the men bought large quantities of beer. Friends were enlisted friends to check identifications and manage security. They charged $5 for men, and women were let in free.

The party ended shortly after the beer ran out.

John Daigle Jr., a school spokesman, said the party's hosts may have violated the university's alcohol policy and broken rules against indecent behavior and the making of unapproved changes to university property.

Daigle, citing school privacy rules, would not identify the students or the punishment they received, but said: "The university took this seriously and the punishment was appropriate."

Punishments at the university can range from a reprimand to dismissal.

Foster said he was put on residential probation through November 9 and had to write a letter of apology.

Daigle said he later learned the woman who won the dance contest was also disciplined, but would not say what her punishment was. "There was no public nudity involved here," he said.

Residential adviser Amber Davis said the party degraded women.

"There are other ways they can go out and get a girlfriend if that's what they want," she said.

The men have taken down the pole and converted the stage to a pingpong table.

[jonesy]

"There was no public nudity involved here," he said.

Guess we'll have to wait for the next "girls gone wild" video to see if he's telling the truth.

[PastorFreud]

I fail to see the crime here. I don't personally think it's a good idea (unless you are married, of course, but let's not discuss my love toys), yet I see no rules being broken or harm done.

[Mr. Curious]

I fail to see the crime here. I don't personally think it's a good idea (unless you are married, of course, but let's not discuss my love toys), yet I see no rules being broken or harm done.

I agree, although in fact formal rules probably were broken. Those rules suck, it wouldn't happen here (existance/enforcement of those rules).

[elainedavies]

The party ended shortly after the beer ran out.

Doesn't it always?!

While I think it's a rather fun/funny idea to have a stripper pole installed in one's apartment, I completely understand the reasons for their discipline. After all, they did break the rules.

Also, jonesy - Ha!

[fragmentsofdreams]

Since it seems to me that the students are being punished exclusively for the provacative nature of their party (and not the modifcation of their appartment or the serving of alcoholic beverages), their punishment is wrong.

Checking out the University's Code of Conduct, I don't see anything that would apply to the situation. It seems to me that this is motivated more by the distaste of the administration rather than any actual rule being broken.

[UMSonOfMan7]

Since it seems to me that the students are being punished exclusively for the provacative nature of their party (and not the modifcation of their appartment or the serving of alcoholic beverages), their punishment is wrong.

Checking out the University's Code of Conduct, I don't see anything that would apply to the situation. It seems to me that this is motivated more by the distaste of the administration rather than any actual rule being broken.

There are regulations outside of just the code of conduct that would apply. I don't know where else the "alcohol policy" and "rules against indecent behavior" might be found, but there would be language in their housing contract forbidding making changes to their room, which at most universities require explicit permission to waive.

[dws129]

There are regulations outside of just the code of conduct that would apply. I don't know where else the "alcohol policy" and "rules against indecent behavior" might be found, but there would be language in their housing contract forbidding making changes to their room, which at most universities require explicit permission to waive.

True, and in the strictist terms there were violations of the code of conduct: bolting the pole to the ceiling (destruction of university property) and possession of kegs or alcoholic containers.

But on the other hand. Kids at a university have aloholic beverages in there room!!! Oh stop the presses like there is a major news flash!!

And most universities would probably be tickled to death if the only damage done to the property were 3 or 4 bolt holes in the ceiling.

And the whole assembly should probably be comended. A drunken party with sexual overtones and no one got naked!?!? That is newsworthy.

But most puzzling, why was only the winning female disciplined? Like is pole dancing okay if you are no good at it?

To me it sounds like a bit of over reaction. Why not just tell them take the pole down, don't do it again and go on.

[SquareC]

I can't speak for the rest of the rules, but since the article states that they had people checking ID's, I don't know what other rules on alcohol would apply. Don't most University students have/go to parties where people are drinking? Isn't that part of the whole "University experience?"

[dws129]

Square C, here is #13 of their rules of conduct:

13. Underage drinking on university property, university premises, or at any University sponsored activity, whether on or off campus. Possessing, storing, dispensing, or consuming alcoholic beverages in the presence of anyone who is under the age or 21 on University property or premises. Possession of kegs or other common containers of alcoholic beverage.

All but the last line is in reference to under age the last sentence has no age so it is applicable to all students. I've seen other schools with similar rules but let's get real. This would have to be one of the most violated and least enforced rules of any campus that has it with the exception of maybe a few schools like Brigham Young.

[UMSonOfMan7]

There are regulations outside of just the code of conduct that would apply. I don't know where else the "alcohol policy" and "rules against indecent behavior" might be found, but there would be language in their housing contract forbidding making changes to their room, which at most universities require explicit permission to waive.

True, and in the strictist terms there were violations of the code of conduct: bolting the pole to the ceiling (destruction of university property) and possession of kegs or alcoholic containers.

But on the other hand. Kids at a university have aloholic beverages in there room!!! Oh stop the presses like there is a major news flash!!

And most universities would probably be tickled to death if the only damage done to the property were 3 or 4 bolt holes in the ceiling.

And the whole assembly should probably be comended. A drunken party with sexual overtones and no one got naked!?!? That is newsworthy.

But most puzzling, why was only the winning female disciplined? Like is pole dancing okay if you are no good at it?

To me it sounds like a bit of over reaction. Why not just tell them take the pole down, don't do it again and go on.

Probably because of media attention. I imagine that until the national media get involved, that is exactly what would happen at my school (take it down; don't do it again), but then when it gets this kind of coverage, there is suddenly pressure coming from all kinds of places and it's no longer about doing the reasonable thing, it's about covering your butt and protecting your image.

[PastorFreud]

But on the other hand, if the school would have responded with "Grow up people! These students were all adults. We'll happily punish any violations of the code, but given the student's diligence in checking IDs, there is no problem" -- if the school had done that, there would probably be a record enrollment next year.