Tackling on-campus alcohol
abuse: Lawmakers must examine legal drinking age By NANCY ALLEN
So Virginia Wesleyan has received a grant to promote the dangers of
binge drinking. That’s great.
And the state of Virginia, reeling from five alcohol-related student
deaths in one semester, has formed a task force to curb alcohol abuse on
college campuses. It’s a wonderful idea.
I wish all of them nothing but the best of luck. It's an issue that
affects every person on this campus and we should support their efforts.
However, all the grants and task forces and public service announcements
in the world cannot change the attitude young Americans have towards alcohol.
As long as the legal drinking age remains at 21, alcohol is a forbidden
fruit to those underage and will continue to be abused.
A young man must register for the Selective Service at age 18.
In the event of war, he can be called up to give his life for our country,
but he is not able to walk into a restaurant and have a glass of wine with
dinner. We are legal adults in every sense of the word by the age
of 18 — we can drive a car, see R and X rated movies, smoke cigarettes,
buy lottery tickets, possess a gun, vote for the leadership of the country
and join the military. How can they justify withholding alcohol from
a legal adult?
Even a drinking age of 21 does not stop anyone from getting alcohol.
Do you know one person on this campus who can honestly tell you that they
have had a problem getting a 12-pack for the last North Hall bash?
Half the stores don't card anyway, and some students have a reliable fake
I.D. Others depend on the kindness of those 21-year-old friends.
Either way, they're drinking by Friday night.
According to an April 12 article in The Virginian-Pilot, Indiana University
professor Ruth Engs found that incidents of heavy and irresponsible drinking
(as exhibited by behaviors such as vomiting and cutting class after drinking)
actually rose after the drinking age rose.
And in the same article, Michael Jones, chief of police at Virginia
Tech, said "Raising the drinking age is the causation for many of the drinking
problems we see now." He estimates that alcohol-related incidents
consume 90 percent of his force's time.
But I do not suggest that simply lowering the drinking age will begin
to fix the rampant alcohol abuse that we have on this, or any, college
campus. What we need is education and a new attitude
towards alcohol.
This education really cannot start in college, or even in the DARE
or MADD programs in place in junior high and high schools. It must
start in the home, when parents both teach and demonstrate responsibility
about alcoholic beverages.
This has been the case in Europe for many years. In Italy and
France, children as young as 10 or 12 are served watered-down wine at family
meals. They are taught to appreciate the taste and flavor of the
wine; the same is true in Germany and England of beer. By the time
they are teens, they are allowed to partake of such treats outside the
home, without the restraint of legal drinking ages. Alcohol is enjoyed
with friends and in social settings, yet they do not have the problems
of alcohol abuse and binge drinking that are so prevalent in our country.
Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley told the task force, “I do not
believe that lowering the drinking age is an appropriate, viable or beneficial
public policy.”
Mr. Earley might choose to tackle this problem with more money or more
PSAs or more facts and figures, but until they give serious consideration
to a lower drinking age and promote responsible alcohol consumption, it’s
only going to be a a drop in the keg.
Letter to the Editor The words “Spring Break” naturally evoke images of sun, fun, parties
and good times. When confronted with ‘what to do’ this Spring Break,
a group of VWC students decided to break away from the stereotype and use
their time and talent to help those who really need it.
Sponsored by the Office of Community Service and billed as an Alternative
Spring Break, student volunteers had their choice of destinations - Cape
Charles, Va. and Washington, D.C.
In Cape Charles, volunteers cleaned, painted and repaired homes for
residents. At Cape Charles, even though days were long, living conditions
less than ideal and our meals most would not consider edible, the enthusiasm
and dedication soared.
Rising Hope United Methodist Church, outside of Washington, D.C., was
the destination for another group of students. These volunteers worked
among the congregation’s homeless and low-income population. In D.C.,
the days for the Team Rising Hope were filled with both emotional and physical
challenges.
After weeks and months of metal laboring over books, tests and papers,
the adrenaline produced by physical exertion resulted in a remarkable level
of accomplishment. Most rewarding was the expression of gratitude and appreciation
demonstrated by the residents of Cape Charles and the Rising Hope’s Congregation.
The enormous need in these communities was a humbling experience.
From a personal perspective, I admit I was apprehensive about what
I was getting myself into. Did I really want to spend my Spring Break doing
community service? I can honestly say that it was one of the best weeks
of my life. I will always be thankful that I went. I know I got as
much, if not more, out of it as the people we helped. And, as a bonus,
I made many ne w friends among the students I worked, laughed and cried
with. If you’re looking for a Spring Break to remember, next year
you might want consider the Alternative Spring Break. It may sound corny
to say that when you help others, you help yourself, but those words really
true!
Sincerely,
Erin Willoughby
