Safe An Environment With Alcohol On Campus example essay topic

With dismaying regularity, news reports detail the excesses, and the deaths, of vibrant college students, their promise and their talent compromised or extinguished. For university "caretakers"- from the president to the student affairs office, to the faculty- alcohol abuse by students prompts sadness, anger, sometimes defeat, and often frustration (Issues pg. 1). Some 83% of the students in the most recent, Core Alcohol and Drug Survey said they drank, and 43% reported some form of violence (arguments, threats, fights, thefts, ethnic and sexual harassment, or unwanted sexual encounters) related to alcohol (Issues pg. 1). How to best deal with the complex issues, responsibilities, and liabilities, how to be an instrument for change in the college environment, is a challenge facing all colleges and universities around the country (Issues pg. 1).

For years, universities have been grappling with collegiate alcohol abuse in a variety of ways. The dilemma, respecting the adult sensibilities and independence of young people while honoring the law and an institution's "duty to care", has become even more difficult to solve (Issues pg. 2). Some 15 million students now attend more than 3,500 institutions. Nationally, raising the legal age for buying alcohol to 21 has meant the mingling on campuses of underage and legal age students (Issues pg. 2). It is a known truth that something needs to be done with drinking at all colleges and universities around the United States. What needs to be done is something that needs to be researched and tested to see what will work.

One idea that is being tested on many college and university campuses is making the campus completely alcohol free, or "dry". Dry campuses, what exactly is a dry campus? Well my opinion of a dry campus is a campus where alcohol is not allowed in any way, shape, or form. It can not even be brought on the campus, in the dorms, or at functions or parties put on by the university on the campus. There are many pros for a dry campus, but with the pros of course there are always cons. I plan on discussing both the pros and the cons of dry campuses and also giving my opinion on both as well.

I will also use article off of the Internet from other universities, which have the opinions of their staff and students. With all of these sources combined I hope to get a better understanding of the difficulty of making a dry campus work, or not work. There are many deaths, car accidents, riots, fights, and unwanted sexual encounters on college campuses caused by alcohol. So what is the "right" way to solve this, or deal with this problem. At Northeastern University, in Boston Massachusetts, they put together a multi-campus Task Force on Campus Drinking. The idea came from The Boston Coalition, and advocacy group known for its work in reducing violence and fighting substance abuse (Freeland pg. 1).

The task force has picked up both steam and support. It is sponsored and supported by, Boston Higher Education Partnership, Boston Against Drugs, The federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, the mayor, Boston Police, the Attorney General, and the state's Public Health Commissioner. All of which attended a meeting to sanction the effort (Freeland pg. 1-2). Programs such as these need to be started at all universities and colleges, and be backed by all of the sponsors that are supporting the one at Northeastern.

If you get the public involved students may find it more interesting. It will gain the support of the students. Not only are you getting the opinions of students and faculty, you are getting opinions of the experts on drugs and alcohol, and also that of the law. All of the support and input from each group should equal out to a fair and just way to deal with alcohol on campuses.

Colleges and universities can and should set clear standards for student behavior and enforce them with an even hand, a more holistic approach is needed if we are to shift campus culture that glorifies drunken behavior to one that discourages it (Freeland pg. 2). Laws, student codes, and tough talk alone will not eliminate problem drinking. The "do as I say, not as I do", approach has not worked in the past, and there is no reason to believe it will work now (Freeland pg. 2). Education, along with counseling and treatment when they are needed, is the key to success, and students are the critical component in getting this to work. Engaging students to help teach other students about the health and behavioral consequences that come with alcohol abuse (bad grade, black-outs, hangovers, fist fights, rape) is key to changing campus attitudes toward excessive drinking (Freeland pg. 2). Teaching students how to recognize dangerous behavior, how to put drinking in its proper place, and how to drink responsibly.

I believe that if we had a student group here on campus, that supported this, and pushed this issue it would help. If you use students as examples to other students I believe that they will respond better. When it comes from a peer, it is easier to handle. Coming from a faculty member, it's easier for a student to ignore, or just not listen. I think that there needs to be a student-affiliated group on campus that can counsel other students who have an alcohol problem or break the dry campus rule.

Changing attitudes about what is acceptable behavior and what is not can work only if students are listening. Fostering an environment where students respect themselves and one another is well worth the effort because it provides the foundation for building campus communities whose members hear each other (Freeland pg. 2). College students are smart, and with the right text and the right teacher, they can learn to recognize the role that alcohol abuse plays in compromising the quality of life in the dorms, and on their campus (Freeland pg. 2-3). One pro of having a dry campus is that students can find other activities to participate in on campus instead of drinking. Students can get involved in extra curricular activities that the college or university sponsors. Students can get involved in activities like, intramural sports, FCA, First Priority, Student Government, and many other clubs and organizations that the university offers.

These extra curricular activities can keep the student busy and they also can have a positive influence on the student. The university also needs to sponsor events, parties, and dances that are alcohol free, and encourage students to do the same. At the University of Maryland, every year a "Spring Party Challenge". The challenge encourages student groups to throw alcohol-free parties (Workman pg. 1). Organizers of the best party get $300 and two runners-up each get $100 (Workman pg. 1). Maryland also has "Weekends at Maryland".

Amy Duh aime, the coordinator plans alcohol-free holiday theme parties, bus trips to nearby museums and sporting events, hiking trips and other interesting activities. She also serves as a clearinghouse for all weekend campus activities, providing a weekly list of weekend events (Workman pg. 1). Another booklet that offers off-campus possibilities for alcohol-free fun is called "Where the Good Times Are". The publication is produced by the Washington Area Drug Prevention Consortium of Higher Education (Workman pg. 2). The publication is distributed to 13 institutions, including the surrounding colleges and universities. It lists many alcohol-free activities, establishments and events that the area has to offer college students, such as gourmet dessert and coffee houses; billiards, skating, golfing and bowling centers; theaters; parks; and general tourist attractions (Workman pg. 2).

I feel like this university offers some activities such as these, but I also know that we are in a very small community, and have to travel at least 45 minutes to an hour to get to a fairly decent sized town. To a town or city that has different activities for college aged students. This makes it hard on the student trying to find something to do, and also on the staff who is trying to plan a student activity for the weekend. They must plan ahead and have transportation available and the money to support the activity. Another pro of having a dry campus is more of a benefit to the college or university. By having a dry campus, the university is not liable for a student who drinks on campus and gets hurt or even gets killed.

By setting the rules and in forcing the no alcohol on campus, the university is not responsible for the student if they choose to break the rules. That is to say if the university can show that they have documented the rule and have in forced it. There are different ways that colleges around the country are dealing with alcohol on campuses. One way is parental notification. Congress passed a measure in 1998 that says colleges may notify parents if their son or daughter is caught violating an alcohol policy (Anderson pg. 1).

A second way is through campus programs. Many colleges have awareness programs and initiative through Drug Free Youth programs (Anderson pg. 1). The programs do have to compete with posters and events on campuses that often promote drinking (Anderson pg. 1). Another way to deal with campus drinking is though peer support and education. Alcohol-free students need to exert peer pressure the other direction so that entering freshmen aren't enticed to drink (Anderson pg. 1).

Inevitably, college kids are going to drink prodigious amounts of alcohol. The only question is where this is going to occur: in a group atmosphere with constant moderation and the ability for central authorities to cut off the bar, or in private with minimal observance and unlimited access to the pump? (Ellis pg. 1). If a campus is dry then the latter of the two is what is happening. If a campus is dry then students will go buy alcohol, bring it back to there dorm room and drink in the privacy of there dorm.

There is no supervision, no mom or dad, or other authority figure to step in and tell them they have had enough. Or to tell them they need to stop, or to tell them "no you can't go back to the store to get more, you are to drunk". So is having a dry campus the safest environment? Why do universities and colleges punish those who actually use alcohol in moderation alongside the few idiots who cannot hold their liquor? (Ellis pg. 1).

Fundamentally, college is a journey of maturity, and this is impossible in a repressed environment where one is not treated with the dignity of an adult. How can students mature into respectable members of society when denied major formative experiences? (Ellis pg. 1). The time has come for universities and colleges to recognize that banning alcohol not only does not get at the root of the problem, but actually endangers more students (Ellis pg. 2). Since alcohol is not allowed on campus, students are forced to travel off campus to drink.

This requires driving, which means that the student will have to drive back, possibly intoxicated. If the campus is not dry then the chances that the student will leave campus and drive drunk are reduced. I know that many of the students here go to bars in other towns and then drive back to campus. Most of the time it is very early in the morning when they return home, and they are still under the influence of alcohol. If the campus were wet this would not be the case. By having college and universities "wet", I believe that you are giving the students a safer environment.

If the college or university sets rules for and about drinking on campus, and enforces those rules, there would be no need for a "dry" campus. In conclusion, I believe there is no right or wrong answer to the question of dry campuses. Bringing are schools together is a critical piece of the solution. By sharing ideas about best practice and adopting cross-campus strategies and standards for behavior, students and faculty will be able to speak with a common voice that reinforces common goals (Freeland pg. 3).

Neither banning alcohol nor education will stop drinking on college campuses. But giving students common ground and the tools they need to choose wisely can make a difference. By knowing how alcohol works in the body and on the brain, students will better understand the dangers that come from abuse. By knowing that responsible decision-making is possible, students will have the power to develop a relationship with alcohol that places respect for their college or university and themselves first (Freeland pg. 3). I believe that the answer to dry campuses is not a dry campus at all. I believe that you can have just as safe an environment with alcohol on campus, if you set rules and guidelines for use, and have programs to support students who abuse alcohol.