Anna Dorsey | Illustration Editor

A few weeks ago, WashU students gathered for St. Louis’ annual Mardi Gras in the Soulard neighborhood, one of the largest celebrations outside New Orleans. WashU students eagerly anticipate this event, attending both on- and off-campus gatherings before heading to Soulard for the parade and other festivities. However, this year, the morning was disrupted when personnel from the Office of Residential Life and the Washington University Police Department intervened in several student gatherings, leaving many upset and feeling their Mardi Gras was a letdown. 

In an attempt to control Mardi Gras activities, WashU pushed students toward riskier conditions, increased the already-existing distrust between students and the administration, and inhibited some of the necessary growth students gain through experimental learning in college. 

After spending the morning on the South 40, my friends and I decided to head over to Washington Avenue, where many fraternities and other student organizations host breakfasts and other Mardi Gras-related events, largely in off-campus housing not owned by the University. Upon arrival, we saw groups of students on the street unsure of their next steps. Residents had told them to exit the houses after speaking with WashU staff. ResLife officials and WUPD patrolled the street, and eventually everyone went home after tenants stopped letting students inside. Many students planned to eat breakfast at these residences and left without a plan for the rest of the day. Others were already intoxicated with no food in their stomachs (a recipe for disaster). 

Many returned to the South 40, including my friends and I, to adjust their plans and prepare for the parade. Before stopping by a friend’s room, we encountered her Residential Community Director (RCD) actively patrolling the hallway. Numerous individuals I spoke to during Mardi Gras recounted being questioned by ResLife, noting that their pregames in campus apartments were shut down, with some even having photos taken of their IDs and their alcohol dumped. 

Once the events on Washington Avenue ended early, multiple students felt the only way to keep the fun going was to head straight to Soulard. Ironically, WUPD and ResLife’s presence pressured students to spend more time at the parade, where campus resources were unavailable if needed and where it was easy to lose sight of friends in the massive crowd, potentially placing students in a more dangerous situation. So, in their quest to disband Mardi Gras activities, presumably for student safety, they pushed students toward the less safe option, as Soulard is significantly farther from campus and less controlled than areas on and near campus in an emergent situation.

Throughout Mardi Gras weekend, WashU students used Sidechat to share their frustrations and experiences with shutdowns. Although anonymous posts aren’t always reliable, the volume of unhappy students shows a rising sentiment of distrust and anger. Older students said they never felt this closely monitored by campus personnel in previous years. There were mixed reactions to these events, with some believing the University was trying to protect its students, while others felt its actions were overly intrusive. 

WashU is an established dry campus, and alcohol is strictly prohibited, so the regulation of alcohol on campus is understandable. That being said, WashU did not recently banned alcohol, so the motivation for the increased surveillance this year is unclear. Moreover, their policing of off-campus apartments moves beyond a “dry campus” and is unexpected, so it breaches students’ trust.

There is also a stark difference between taking preventative safety measures and policing. Administration could have used alternative methods to ensure students’ safety, such as having more Emergency Support Team members and personnel ready in case of an emergency for extra on-campus support. Additionally, WashU could also have emphasized in its “Mardi Gras Weekend Safety Reminders” email before the event that safety is WashU’s number one priority, and that, if needed, students could contact WUPD without fear of disciplinary action. 

College is a major transitional period in most students’ lives, and they must become equipped to make better decisions and to become independent. Students need a space to practice decision-making with guardrails of support if needed. We are fortunate to have an administration that does its best to keep all students safe; however, patrolling during events, ID checks, and early shutdowns treat students like children and prevent the necessary growth that occurs in college.

College is largely about learning from one’s mistakes. Most individuals learn their max while drinking the hard way — by experience. WashU doesn’t necessarily need to stand idly by while individuals indulge in alcohol, but the actions taken during Mardi Gras felt less about safety and more about surveillance. Furthermore, as an NCAA Division III school, WashU students don’t often attend many campus-wide events, such as the tailgates at other schools. Mardi Gras is a way to unite the student body more and take a break from the immense pressure most of us face daily from being such an academically rigorous school; it also offers students a chance to connect with the broader St. Louis community, something many students at WashU don’t do. After the initial intervention on Washington Avenue, some students decided to call off their plans and not attend the parade altogether. 

If WashU wants to effectively ensure its students’ security, I suggest making the student population feel more supported than monitored. Instead of immediately dumping alcohol at pregames, the school could offer rides back to dorms, or at least check in with students’ well-being without making them feel judged. I don’t believe eroding trust was part of the administration’s intentions. However, the administration’s questioning and overall demeanor as it shut down gatherings — ones that students have been looking forward to for weeks — do not make it feel like the policing of Mardi Gras was intended to serve students’ best interests.