My Reflection Paper as it stands currently
Here is the finished product. It's already sent so tips are a little late...sorry.......
Reflection Upon University Policies
The average American young adult, at one point or another, finds himself at odds with a policy for one reason or another; sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly. Whatever the reason, ignorance can never be justified when policies are provided and made available for everyone. Cognizance of knowledge’s availability and understanding policies should be every university student’s aim while making his way through the murky waters of academia. In light of this, I shall reflect on my actions, the charges incurred and the insight I have gained in the duration of this process.
The policies found in violation are the following: WAC 504-25-050 and WAC 504-25-110; respectively, I violated the Alcohol and Violation of University Policies. The Washington State University Handbook states that my presence in the room of underage drinkers appeared to validify their behavior and for this reason I am held responsible for both alcohol and violation of university policies.
The policies are in existence as a tool for enforcing state and federal laws that explicitly forbid underage drinking and any promotion, assistance, aiding or abetting thereof. As the legal drinking age is twenty-one, all underage drinkers are below the permissible age. Furthermore, as an educational institution, the policy reflects an attempt to properly educate students of the paramount dangers and legal issues surrounding underage drinking. The legal drinking age was not arbitrarily chosen; it was an age legislators felt adults became capable of wisely handling alcohol, having twenty-one years of experience to assist in decision-making, as well as haven grown to a physical maturity at which alcohol would have less of a detrimental effect on the drinker. Therefore, for academic, health and legal reasons, the policies have been installed.
During the course of the evening, I made a bad choice resulting in an infraction of two university policies. Instead of leaving a room in which the duration of my stay could cast a less than desirable shadow upon myself, I chose to remain and partake in a fun game of Uno. My presence in the room as an adult of legal drinking age is seen as a positive reinforcement of underage drinking. As a university student and occupant of the residence hall system, my conduct is tantamount to a negative example of students the university strives to accept, train and send forth from its academic arena into the waiting arms of the professional world.
As a senior with graduation looming in May of 2005, my academic goals are imminently clear: to graduate. Aside from this simplistic goal, maintaining a high grade point average is something that I demand from myself that would be detrimentally affected by illegal and over-use of alcohol. Furthermore, appearing to accept and even promote underage drinking interferes with both of these goals in very obvious ways, both academically and legally.
Academically, my alleged abuse of alcohol poses a threat to my goal of graduating, and the stress induced reduces my ability to pursue my studies effectively. Legally and without the protection of university policies, abuse of alcohol has the potential to greatly impair one’s ability to participate in the academic world, let alone graduate.
Illegal abuse of alcohol may include the following: public drunkenness, provision of alcohol to minors, driving while under the influence of alcohol, and many others. As alcohol consumption increases, so does use of intelligent judgment, which leads to a greater potential to abuse alcohol illegally. Alternately, proper use of alcohol is wiser for many obvious reasons. Aside from using better judgment, it is possible to enjoy social settings with the inclusion of moderate amounts of alcohol, providing the company is both old enough and also not included for the specific purpose of “getting drunk.” However, this is not to say that social occasions should require the inclusion of alcohol in the slightest. This idea is one that is decidedly pervasive in young adult settings, and is possibly a harmful idea that has led to much trouble, hence the wisdom of lawmakers’ decision to set the legal drinking age at twenty-one.
The reflection explored herein has taught me that I have learned some very important lessons throughout this process. I have learned the contents of the university handbook. I have gained an insight regarding the contents of the university handbook. I understand the implications of my actions more clearly. More importantly, I have grown to understand the effect my actions have on others’ behavior, and the reflection my actions cast upon myself-whether I feel those reflections are fair or not.
Perhaps the most important insight gained from this experience is that knowledge is provided and at my fingertips just for the picking. To have gone as far as I have in my education without fully understanding conduct policies is, in my opinion, inexcusable. It is inexcusable for the reason that if I had had prior knowledge of exactly what I may or may not do, I would never have walked into a room in which illegal conduct occurred and remained in that room. In the future, armed with my understanding of university policies, my goal is to avoid these situations or leave if I find mysel