Valkyrie Fall 2017 - Issue 1

THE RESERVOIR
beautiful fall day, a hike to the cool clear waters; what
A could be better than a swim? “Falling” in the reservoir
may be on your Berry bucket list, but its waters are
murkier than you might think.
The reservoir holds the place of honor in many a Berry-related
story, and rightly so. It is a special place to
Berry students and the Rome community. It is beautiful
and enjoyable, but fun can turn dangerous very quickly.
It hasn’t yet been a full semester and the reservoir has
already been the topic of an increasing number of conversations
around campus. Not the typical conversations
about hiking up and “falling in” with friends, but conversations
about the rules and punishments behind swimming
in the reservoir if students are caught.
Even before school technically started, the issue was
addressed when First-Year Mentors took their students
to the reservoir during Viking Venture.
Assistant Dean of Students Lindsay Norman spoke to
mentors during one of their bi-monthly meetings and
shared more about the reasoning behind the no swimming
rule. During a later interview, she reiterated the administration’s
safety concerns about swimming in the reservoir.
Story and Design by Devon Powers, Buzz Editor
Photo by Bailey Albertson, Photographer
you’d be safe, we can’t allow you to swim in it.”
In addition, Chief of Police Bobby Abrams and Vice President
of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Debbie
Heida confirmed that the reservoir is the college’s water
source.
Heida said, “[The reservoir] is our only water supply.”
At the end of August, the issue was raised again when
students were removed from their Resident Assistant
(RA) positions after visiting the reservoir and swimming
after hours with some of their residents.
In a VikingFusion story earlier this year, former RA
Nathan Hirsh talked about what happened.
“We went up there and ended up going swimming, actually,
skinny dipping, “ said Hirsh
Although a petition garnered at least six pages of signatures,
administration did not change their stance.
When asked about the rules regarding the reservoir, Norman
referred to the Viking Code and Community Standard.
Community Standard III refers to “lack of respect
for the property of others and for the environment.”
is prohibited by state and federal regulations because it is
the water supply for the college. Heida said that the college
asked the state whether they would authorize swimming
in the reservoir several years ago and the answer
was no. According to the Georgia Department of Health
and Rule 391-3-16-.01 Criteria for Water Supply Watersheds
Section 8 regarding Water Supply Reservoirs Management
Plans, swimming is prohibited in the reservoir.
Even though Berry College is a private college, it is still
required to follow federal regulations.
In a survey emailed to the student body, Valkyrie asked
students what they thought the punishment for swimming
in the reservoir was. The answers varied from there is no
punishment to loss of job or probation. So, what does happen
to you if you get caught swimming in the reservoir?
Although there has been an increase in conversation about
reservoir, Norman believes that the number of incidents
and subsequent consequences is consistent.
“How we find out about it ebbs and flows in terms of
amount and that may make students feel like it is inconsistent
in terms of enforcement. It’s not inconsistent; if
we know about it, we hold students accountable. We don’t
know about it all the time, we don’t police our students
that way. Lately other students will bring it to my attention
when they see it. I don’t actively go look.”
According to Chief Abrams, campus police have never
criminally charged students for swimming in the reservoir.
Dean Heida said the punishment depends on the
situation.
“The challenge is [students] know we haven’t treated
every situation the same and again, all of the details about
every situation are not the same. Rarely are situations alike
so if it’s just an individual or a couple students then its
dealt with somewhat differently than if you’re in a leadership
position or involve others in what you’re doing or if
it’s after dark and the gate is closed already. Our primary
goal with any conduct situation is education,” Heida said.
As a part of the student conduct system, Norman gave
some insight into the process. The administration will
receive documentation, in the form of a police report, an
incident report or a screenshot of something from a student.
Norman herself will then arrange a follow-up conversation
with the student in question.
“That’s an administrative hearing and its very informal.
[The students] come and we just talk about the risks and
I try to understand why the student did it and help them
see why we have concerns and ask them not to do it in the
future,” Norman said.
that every time someone is caught, they at least have an
administrative hearing. Heida also confirmed that administrative
hearings always occur when a student is in trouble.
Page 51 of the Viking Code lays out the procedure for
administrative hearings.
“Administrative hearings are generally reserved for minor
infractions, or when the student and investigator agree
on administrative adjudication. Procedures include the
respondent’s right to:
1. written notification of charges
2. an opportunity for the accused student, hereafter
referred to as respondent, and the hearing officer to
review documentation and discuss the alleged behavior.
3. a fair and impartial consideration of the charges by
the hearing officer
4. the right to present a defense including information
about potential witnesses to be interviewed by the
investigative or hearing officer
5. the right to a written notification of finding
6. the right to appeal the decision
Administrative hearings are informal in nature and involve
the hearing officer and the respondent. Information from
witnesses is received either in written form or interviews
by the investigating officer. Administrative hearings are
not taped.”
The two main rationales behind the no swimming rule
are the safety concerns of a student getting hurt and the
subsequent difficulty of emergency vehicles getting to the
scene and the fact that it is our drinking water and against
regulations to swim in it.
Student Government Association President Kassie Jones
understands the complexity of the safety concerns of the
reservoir and believes that students will take the rules
about the reservoir seriously if they are enforced with
more consistency.
“Students like to think they are three things: invulnerable,
invincible and infertile and they are none of the three. My
strongest hope is that something bad doesn’t have to happen
for students to take it seriously. That would hurt my
heart and be devastating to the community,” said Heida.
Included under this standard is the violation of contractual
or policy statements, which is what the no swimming
Norman said “Whenever you as an entity don’t have any
lifeguards or safeguards in place, it creates a liability for us
rule is considered. Norman also said that going to the reservoir
when the gate is closed could also be considered
the case to the Conduct Board, made up of faculty and
Norman or the student then have the opportunity to refer
so we can’t permit it to happen. If we allow you in it then
we need to protect you and make it safe. We can’t do that
unauthorized access.
staff and students, if they so choose. While a case may not
for lots of reasons. Because we can’t be there to make sure
always be heard before the Conduct Board, Norman said
In addition to campus policy, swimming in the reservoir
28 Buzz
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