Tulane University charges a $150 fee for students to host a guest during Mardi Gras. At a school where the cost to attend is now nearly $90,000 per year, one would hope that the university would be more accommodating for students hosting guests. Tulane claims the extra costs are for security. What? That is quite a scary statement. One would hope there is always enough security on campus.
U.S. News & World Report ranks New Orleans as the sixth most dangerous place in the United States. Although maybe slightly more dangerous during Mardi Gras, the city does not turn into a scene from the popular movie “The Purge,” as Tulane suggests.
In “The Purge,” there are no laws enforced for twelve hours, leading members of society to commit wicked acts of vengeance. However, despite Tulane’s portrayal of Mardi Gras, the reality is quite the opposite. New Orleans police step into overdrive, doing their best to stop the possible increased levels of violence.
If Tulane is given the benefit of the doubt, and Mardi Gras does become a purge-like situation, the university still has some explaining to do. Tulane has a second ludicrous policy involving Mardi Gras guests: Tulane forces guests to wear wristbands for the entire week.
The requirement that guests must have a wristband on nonstop, like a dog with a collar, is not even the worst aspect of this policy. If the wristband breaks, falls off or is otherwise lost, Tulane charges $50 for a replacement, as if it is encrusted with diamonds or made of solid gold.
Another scheme is that Tulane requires students to register their guests in advance, imposing nearly double the charge for those who fail to do so. The problem: Tulane is exploiting college students’ lack of planning, effectively taxing them for their lifestyle.
Which college students are not prone to procrastinate and make last-minute decisions? These habits are just as likely to be found in a college student as a toilet in a bathroom. The university knows this. Tulane is counting on its own students to either forget to pay or receive last-minute notices from their friends of their visit.
This system of exploiting students was not always in place. In 2016, the fee was only $40. What changed from 2016 to 2017? Did Tulane need to pay back some debts? Other nearby universities are calling for a change in their own policies. Tulane should be a pioneer and set a new precedent, following its own motto, “non sibi, sed suis.”
