<p>And will promising to be kind entail any obligation to participate in charitable activities planned by the residence hall? On the surface, it would seem very nice if all the students in a dorm were to participate. Surely students at elite colleges have a lot to offer, and to whom much is given, much is required. But let’s remember that these kids are among the brightest and most accomplished people in the country. Should anyone pressure the genius in X to take time away from researching X to serve lunch at a soup kitchen? The responsibility for that decision belongs to the student and no one else. At my D’s school, there was a freshman in her dorm who serves as an advisor to Congress. Should he be urged to take time away from his studies and congressional duties to tutor a student in the local high school? Maybe, but maybe not. </p>
<p>I agree with cobrat that these sorts of things can get complicated and will have unintended consquences.</p>