Students coming to the University for orientation have more to worry about than making friends or getting lost on campus.

University Police found one student, at the University for his June 4 orientation, asleep in a second floor bathroom in Creswell Hall after a night of drinking at a nearby fraternity house.

“I was woken up by the police and cuffed in the bathroom,” said Michael Houck, an 18-year-old incoming freshman from Peachtree City. “I was in prison for about 12 hours before I was bailed out,” he said.

Houck said he was released on a $3,213 bail. He was charged with underage possession of alcohol, as well as possession of a fake ID.

Because of the arrest, Houck was unable to attend his second day of orientation. Day two of his orientation included a presentation by the University Police and the Office of Judicial Programs, at which the consequences of underage drinking were discussed.

“While it is an unfortunate situation, we hope the student arrested during the first orientation session will serve as an example of what not to do for students at future orientation sessions,” said Kathryn Kay, orientation graduate assistant. “We also inform them that one student has already been arrested and now may or may not be joining them in the fall due to the consequences of his actions.”

On June 8, the Monday following his arrest, Houck returned to campus to find out what the outcome of his arrest would be.

“That was my biggest concern. I didn’t want my admission to be revoked because the mistake that I made,” he said.

The result: Houck has returned to the University to make up portions of orientation that he was unable to attend because he was in the Clarke County jail.

Due to revisions on the University Code of Conduct, the definition of a student was clarified following confusion last summer regarding orientation. Two students, Tyler Biringer and Hardeep Purewal were both arrested for alcohol-related offenses during their orientation sessions. Biringer was allowed to attend the University in the fall, while Purewal was not.

“The purpose [of the revision] was to make sure that if you’re accepted to the University, you’re under the Code of Conduct,” said Tom Jackson, vice president for Public Affairs. And student-status is acquired before orientation.

“It’s when you’re admitted, when you’re sent the letter,” he said.

As for the fraternity where Houck partied, consequences could be in store.

“First and foremost, we need to fully examine all of the circumstances of the situation to establish if there is a connection at all to his behavior,” said Claudia Shamp, associate dean of Greek Life. “Just because he was at a fraternity function doesn’t necessarily mean his activity had an effect on his behavior later in the evening,” she said.

If Greek Life could determine that Houck’s actions at the fraternity house did have an effect on his later actions, the Office of Judicial Programs and the Interfraternity Council would examine the situation to see if any Code of Conduct rules were broken.

But just because Houck may be on probation does not mean he will be ineligible to rush in the fall.

According to the Judicial Programs’ alcohol/drug sanctions, it is two strikes and you are out. A first violation can land a student in an alcohol awareness class and a probation period of six to 12 months. If a student gets busted a second time while on probation, he or she gets suspended from the University for that semester, as well as the following semester.

“I really wish I would have found another way to spend my time that night,” Houck said. “I made a dumb mistake, I wish I could change what I did.”