Comments (0)Where Are They Now? Jason Block
January 2010Written by Debra Roth Kane
There is no question that Jason Block enjoys school. After graduating from the Park School in 1999, he proceeded to get three degrees: a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College; a master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania; and a law degree, with a focus on alternative dispute resolution, from Ohio State. Now he’s back on a college campus, working at Gettysburg College as the director of student rights and responsibilities. He lives in Mount Holly Springs, Pa.
iNSIDER: What exactly do you do?
Jason: I am the primary person who drafts policies for student conduct. We handle student violations of this policy … and help students learn from their mistakes and become better citizens of the Gettysburg community and the community at large. We also work with kids in crisis, which happens more often than you would think.
How do you find students in crisis?
Usually they self-identify. They come in to our office or go to a professor and ask for help. We jump into action.
What sort of conduct violations do you most commonly see?
Most common thing is underage alcohol use — whether a student has a World Series gathering with beer or is caught with an open container in public. Less often, we see overuse of alcohol that requires medical attention. Usually the students know why they are coming in to my office. We get them to look at why drinking is a problem: issues of legality plus the dangers of impaired decision-making.
How does being close to the students in age affect how you perceive their issues?
That’s something I struggle with. I have a much easier time understanding first-year students and students who are first-time policy violators. I see them as experimenting with their newfound freedom. I have a harder time, understanding students who continually violate policy.
Can you trace your career choices back to your experience at Park?
The way things were taught at Park placed an emphasis on intellectual curiosity. I otherwise wouldn’t have thought about doing this sort of thing. But I also came to this career naturally; my mom was a college guidance counselor for 30 years at the Baltimore School for the Arts.
Where do you go from here?
I can see myself moving into an assistant dean or associate dean of students’ role. But I am happy here. I just bought a house. I see myself staying here for a while.
What do you miss about Baltimore?
Honestly, I miss multi-storied malls! It’s also virtually impossible to find matzoh at Passover or Chanukah cards! Since my mother and many of the people who supported me when I was younger live in Baltimore, I look forward to seeing them when I come back.