With COR closed, students must search elsewhere to sober up safely this winter.
The Campus Observation Room (COR), a space supervising students who’ve had too much to drink, closed its doors for the winter semester, with an exception planned during St. Patrick’s Day weekend on March 16 and 17. The closure was decided last year by COR staff and campus partners after data showed reduced use of the COR during the winter.
“There are many weekends when the [COR] can keep as many as 8-10 people out of the Emergency Room, which means those ER services are able to help others in the community,” said Kate Humphrys, health promotion coordinator at Student Wellness Services (SWS), in a statement to The Journal.
In its absence, the COR’s website describes ways students can intoxicated peers, including a ‘dos and don’ts’ list for managing the dangers of choking and injury.
Humphrys advised intoxicated students to go to the KHSC Emergency Department or Detox Center at 240 Brock St. The Detox Center offers overnight assistance, but is d as a “withdrawal management service,” generally intended for individuals at risk of addiction relapse.
Dr. Tim Chaplin, program medical director for emergency services at Kingston Health Science Centre, was unaware the COR was closing. He’s unsure of the impact the closure will have on emergency rooms that rely on the COR to care for students on weekends and holidays.
During the fall term, the COR was open overnight on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m., with extended hours during Homecoming and orientation week. Located near the Leonard Dining Hall, Humphrys estimates dozens of students use the service in any given year.
The COR is manned by trained student volunteers and Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) addictions workers who offer a safe and confidential place for students to sober up. Students can bring their friends or take a taxi—paid for by the COR—to access the service.
The COR failed to raise its optional student fee to $1 during the AMS fall referendum. The original 85 cent fee will be back on the ballot in COR closes, students search to sober up elsewhere the February, with hopes of ing to continue the service. Student fees cover the free taxi rides to the COR, supplies such as harm reduction materials, and contribute to the salaries of the addiction workers who run the centre.
“COR can’t run without these professional experts,” Humphrys added.
With a voter turnout of 10 per cent, COR needed 60 per cent of students to vote “yes” for their fee to be increased. It missed age by six per cent, garnering 54 per cent of students voting in favour.
This winter, Humphrys hopes more students will vote for the COR’s fee to help future generations of Queen’s students party safely
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