Editors note: Lubin responded to this article with a Letter to the Editor
Displeased Students at Boston University members passed out fliers questioning several BU policies during an Open House tour for prospective students last week, but were stopped after BU administrators noticed the content of the cards.
DSBU president Seth Lubin, a University Professors Program sophomore, stood in the George Sherman Union Friday and handed out the fliers, which read “Think BU is for you?” and asked them to visit the organization’s website. Lubin was asked by an unidentified BU administrator to leave the area and he eventually complied.
BU spokesman Colin Riley said DSBU should act in a “mature and responsible” way and direct its concerns to the right people, instead of taking them directly to students on tours.
“Prospective students are not the right group to target,” Riley said. “If students have concerns, they should take them to the dean of students.”
Lubin said his website has seen increased traffic since Friday, which he said is a direct response to the fliers.
DSBU targeted prospective students to make them aware of BU’s guest and alcohol and drug policies, which are different from those at other schools, Lubin said.
“I didn’t find out about BU policies until orientation,” Lubin said. “You should know about policies before you pay your bills.”
In addition, DSBU has five petitions circulating – asking for Guest Policy changes, alcohol and drug policy modifications, cable in campus dormitories, a better recycling program and convenience point system expansion.
Although the organization hopes to get more than 1,000 students to sign its petitions, the one on the Guest Policy had 287 signatures as of late Tuesday night.
Lubin said DSBU sees targeting prospective students as a “creative way to get attention from the administration.”
The goal of the organization is to help the BU student population, not to cause controversy, said DSBU Vice President Dan Rubin, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore.
“We think that students have the right to know not only the great things about BU, but also the potentially controversial policies that many current students are having trouble with,” Rubin said.
Lubin said Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore has given the organization positive feedback.
The point of the fliers was not to anger administrators, Lubin said.
“We are completely open to working with the university administration on informing prospective students of their policies,” he said.
A previous version of this story had an incorrect headline and a quote taken out of context. DSBU fliers were, in fact, not banned as the previous headline suggested and Seth Lubin was not displeased with Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore’s actions, but appreciative. This correction is reflected in the story above