On Nov. 14, the small, connected community known as Ramapo College of New Jersey was rattled. By Nov. 15, the entire state of New Jersey was overrun with reports of what had so severely shaken up the eclectic, yet united, campus of Ramapo College. The headlines of a sexual assault that had taken place on campus, such as this one from CBS New York, inundated online news sites, television stations, and newspapers.

Here is a little synopsis of how this minuscule college campus managed to rob the headline space of so many news-broadcasting platforms. On Nov. 14, a young woman had awoken, unclothed and presumably “raped” in a dorm room of a residence hall on campus. Rightfully so, she had gone to the emergency room and, after evaluation and examination, it was ruled she had been sexually assaulted the previous night. The news spread like wildfire, resulting in the arrest of her two attackers. Within the next few days, three more students would be charged with endangering an injured victim, as well as invading her privacy. The outing of this assault resulted in five arrests of students on campus.

I agree with the demand for change that so passionately ignited our provost. Something needed to be enhanced, improved, or simply implemented. Regardless, something needed to be done to mitigate the situation. Problematically, the board attacked the surrounding issues, instead of the main ones. Here are five reasons why the newest policies at Ramapo are completely counterproductive:

1. According to northjersey.com, “The new policy doubles fines to $400 for students requiring emergency medical treatment due to intoxication.”

Great! Let’s attack the students who need actual medical assistance. Maybe these new policies will result in less people going to the hospital if necessary. Sounds like a great plan to me. Not.

2. Alcohol doesn’t rape people.

Firearm enthusiasts love the saying, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” The same concept applies to this topic. A bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila can’t wake up one morning and say, “Wow, let me sexually assault someone.” Yes, there was alcohol involved in this situation and, unfortunately, alcohol can change people’s perceptions of situations. HOWEVER, Ramapo is missing the bigger picture. Sexual assaults happen nationwide on college campuses, whether alcohol is present or not present. Our community needs to attack the problem head-on and punish the crime at hand. A 21-year-old can legally consume and purchase alcohol. To take away that right from a human being, as a result of a sexual assault case in which they were not involved, is merely irrelevant.

3. How is punishing a “Good Samaritan” supposed to result in a safer, better environment?

You’re coming back to your dorm from a late night campus party with your pals. You’ve obviously consumed alcohol, but you're still coherent and, for the most part, functioning. On your way back, imagine seeing a passed-out classmate on the floor. The angel on your shoulder is telling you to help the person, but that nasty little devil (influenced by the school board) is telling you to save your own back, and go where public safety can’t go. Sadly, most students (myself included) would rather not be subjected to the fines and punishments that come with the territory of helping out someone in need. Ramapo is convoluting their own policy by placing punishments on those trying to enforce the policy. The school is trying to keep students united in having each other’s backs, yet is punishing those who help to enforce the policy and act as "Good Samaritans." It doesn’t make any sense.

4. Bringing the party off-campus

Creating a campus environment where the young, party-focused mind cannot thrive isn’t a problem! Without it, the community will just bring the party off-campus. Now, we can all pretend to be unexposed and sheltered, but while not condoning underage drinking, we all know it happens. Now let's solve the equation: If students are going off campus, and need to return to campus, someone has to drive. The overly intense punishments will result in more drunk driving, potentially putting a great number of lives at risk. Is a shot of tequila on an alcohol-allowed part of campus really more dangerous and, therefore, punishable? No, not really.

5. Stop rape by not putting the blame on other factors.

A rapist is going to rape whether he or she is sober, high, drunk, or under any other influence. Blaming the alcohol on campus results in a victim-blaming type of scenario. “Oh, she got raped because she was drunk and couldn’t defend herself.” A person should be able to go out for a fun night with friends, drink a little bit, and not have to worry about being abused in any way. Whether the victim is drunk or not, a predator should not be given the opportunity to assault anyone. Stop rape by attacking the predator, not by using alcohol as a scapegoat.

This list is composed from the eyes of a student who has been strongly affected by these policies. While some research was done, I strove to keep it based on my personal opinions on the matter. The most important thing I want people to take away is to understand that we, as a community, need to stop finding minor scapegoats, such as alcohol, to major crimes, such as rape. Personally, I think my night out at a party is a much smaller issue than a student being raped. Let’s place the focus on the real subject matter - end rape on campus with anti-sexual assault programs, not anti-alcohol policies.