Long after the pumpkins have been thrown away and the costumes have been taken off, some UB students are still dealing with the consequences of Halloween night.
A handful of students have received community service and two Flint Village community assistants have been fired following their appearance at a Halloween party thrown by four Southlake Village residents.
Estimated attendance at the Oct. 30 party, held at the residence of Claudia Casciana, Gail Markowitch, Elana Marsh and Jennifer Tuttle, ranges from 50 to 70 people, officials said.
According to John Grela, director of Public Safety, the party was reported to University Police late Thursday night for noise violations and was broken up quickly.
"Not everybody was petitioned to the Student-Wide Judiciary, and only the folks that were responsible for putting the party on were petitioned there. The other folks - and I heard there were about 50 of them - were told to leave," Grela said.
Several of the attendants were under the age of 21, and the four residents each received between 15 and 30 hours of community service from SWJ, according to Tuttle.
Tuttle, who serves as the University Council student representative and as president of the Faculty Student Association, said she feels that the situation is being taken far too seriously, particularly because of the positions she and others at the party hold.
"I think they feel they can make an example of me," she said Friday. "And while I know that I have a responsibility to this campus because of the positions I hold, I am a student. I have a life."
"And I expect to be held to the same standards as every other student, regardless of my positions," she added. "I don't want anything more. I don't want anything less."
The four residents were also issued an additional 40 hours of community service from the University Residence Halls and Apartments, Tuttle said, although they originally were told they might be evicted from their apartment.
According to the University Apartments Handbook rules and regulations, not only are gatherings of more than 15 people prohibited, but people who hold parties "may be immediately suspended or given notice that their housing agreement/lease is terminated or default proceedings started on lease."
The rules and regulations also state that no alcoholic beverages may be either possessed or consumed in any area where the tenants or their guests are under the age of 21.
Tuttle, who is over the age of 21 and said she did not serve alcohol at the party, said she only feels bad about the amount of people in the apartment at one time.
"We had a lot of people there, had there been a fire there or something, that would have been a really big issue, but underage drinkers - my God, if these people are 19 and 20 years old - if they can buy beer, I don't think I should have to be questioning who sold it to them," Tuttle said.
'Inappropriate Judgment'
Marc Stellrecht and Jordan Berry, then-community assistants in Flint Village, attended the party during their off time. Stellrecht said he was a designated driver.
Stellrecht said he received word Nov. 3 from Tom Tiberi, director of university apartments, that he had been terminated from his position.
"I was presented with an official letter of termination Tuesday evening, and was notified of the opportunity to appeal Mr. Tiberi's decision of termination after flawlessly working for University Resident Halls and Apartments for over two years," Stellrecht said in a prepared statement.
In a brief phone interview Stellrecht, who also holds positions as Sub-Board marketing and public relations director, Student Association promotions manager, president of the UB chapter of the American Marketing Association and serves on the Faculty Student Association board of directors, said he and Berry were apprehensive about speaking to the media about the details of the event due to the appeal process.
Berry said she was informed of her termination on Nov. 3.
"According to Tiberi, my attendance at a Halloween party in South Lake Village on Oct. 30 indicated inappropriate judgment on my part and constituted grounds for my dismissal," said Berry, also in a prepared statement.
The 2003-04 University Apartments Community Assistants job description and employment agreement does not specifically refer to a situation like Stellrecht's and Berry's, but does include a section about role modeling.
"CAs are expected to represent themselves and the University Residence Halls/Apartments in a professional manner in all phases of their responsibilities," it states. "A positive influence by CAs within the apartment complex and around campus is crucial."
The two are appealing the decision currently; Berry had a hearing with Joe Krakowiak, director of University Residence Halls, Thursday morning, Stellrecht on Friday.
Krakowiak declined to comment specifically on the issue, but said many areas of the situation would be explored.
"Does the punishment fit the crime, so to speak, is part of the charge," Krakowiak said.
Krakowiak said the issue will be resolved by Wednesday.
"I am anxiously awaiting a decision to see if my employment with the university will be reinstated, as it is and has been a major part of my life here at UB," stated Stellrecht, who has served as a resident advisor, a CA and intern with URH&A during the summer, in the statement.
Tuttle, who threw the party, said she felt the judgment was harsh for the two.
"They've given two and half years to this department and they're just being let go for their first time offense," Tuttle said. "I really don't think it's fair to make an example of people like that."
Guests Receive Community Service
Currently, students who attended the party are being called to speak to Meegan Hunt, the complex director, about the situation, and several have been issued community service for their attendance.
Julie Milewski, a first year graduate student in sociology, said she has an appointment to speak to Hunt Tuesday. According to Milewski, she had a fever the night of the party but stopped by to see friends for a few minutes. When she tried to leave, the police told her she had to stay in the apartment, she said.
"I went there for 15 minutes, and I got stuck there for over and hour when I shouldn't have been," she said, adding that she thought doling out community service hours to guests at the party was absurd.
"I think that I've tried to rationalize it," she said. "I can understand what they're doing to the people who threw the party. I can understand what they're doing for people who are under 21, but for those of use who attended the party," she said, trailing off.
'Definite Flaws'
Tuttle said that despite being allowed to stay in the apartments, the situation is still alarming, and she doesn't believe legal people like her, with a 20-year-old roommate, should be punished for having alcoholic beverages in their own homes.
She said people should be made aware of the rules and regulations of the apartments.
"I think I would be a really bad student leader if I just turned my eye to this just because it no longer personally involved me," Tuttle said. "I think there are definite flaws in the system and I think that students need to be aware of it. I just don't think that students read the lease agreements very carefully."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
