2008 Woodie Awards
DCCCD opposes 18 being the new 21
Courtney Woods
Issue date: 11/26/08 Section: The News
Though the debate to change the legal drinking age to 18 is appearing on many college campuses, some DCCCD leaders do not necessarily support the change.
Chancellors and presidents of universities, such as Duke and Dartmouth, are collaborating with lawmakers to change the current drinking age in their states from 21 to 18 in an effort to help prevent binge drinking and reckless behavior.
The Amethyst Initiative, a project of the non-profit organization Choose Responsibi-lity, calls for a network of colleges to discuss changing the legal drinking age. According to the initiative's website, their supporters believe young adults who have an opportunity to experience alcohol at an earlier stage in life will learn to limit consumption and exercise more control, especially those attending four-year universities.
Nick De Santis is a staff assistant at Choose Responsibility; he believes that our culture needs to discuss the drinking age more.
"The current drinking age, which is 21, is just not working," De Santis said. "Here at Choose Responsibility we do not necessarily want to change the legal drinking age, we just want to have an honest, open debate about it".
De Santis also said parents should be educated as well because their involvement could prevent bad drinking habits. And the support of college presidents and chancellors will help promote alcohol awareness, according to De Santis.
"We have 130 [signatories] so far with Amethyst Initiative" DeSantis said. "We hope that this can benefit the American society in the long run," he also said.
But not everyone agrees that this is the correct way to go about preventing problems.
"There are no overt actions needed regarding the position of the DCCCD. I have stated my personal opinion, when requested, and that is the current legal drinking age should be retained," DCCCD Chancellor Wright Lassiter said.
Lassiter bases his opinion on reports of underage drinking in the past,
"When I read of the increasing number of incidents involving persons under age 21 involved in traffic accidents, I have reservations about lowering the legal drinking age. I received this message from one of the institutions that I graduated from and where I now serve on a national advisory committee: 'An 18-year old Auburn University student was killed Wednesday night in a three-vehicle crash on Alabama Highway 14. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the collision.'"
Dr. Lassiter's stance is echoed by Eastfield College's president, Dr. Carol Brown, but she also does not believe the change of the legal drinking age would affect Eastfield as strongly as four-year institutions.
"I understand the concern of wanting to change the legal drinking age, but I believe the best thing to do is educating the consequences that comes with drinking," Brown said. She also stated, if the legal drinking age were to change, Eastfield's campus would not be directly affected, since it is a commuter school.
Herlinda Glasscock, President of North Lake College, has mixed feelings about the Amethyst Initiative.
"It's an issue that needs to be carefully thought out," Glasscock stated. "One size does not fit all."
Glasscock also believes that students need to learn about consumption. "I grew up with a relaxed approach. I dined with wine at the table, and there I learned my limits."
SMU's campus has launched a program called Task Force. The program that provides education on preventing drug and alcohol problems, has emerged on SMU's campus in 2007, after three SMU students died from substance abuse. SMU plans to prevent that from occurring again. Task Force's purpose is to go beyond alcohol and drug policies and touch on all facets of campus life - academic, social and medical.
"For years SMU has maintained programs aimed at awareness, prevention and assistance, and although students are ultimately responsible for their individual choices, it is time for us as a university community to re-examine our efforts," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner, who appointed the Task Force in June of 2007.
In early 2008 SMU's task force proposed the idea of adding a campus pub. The force's idea was to prevent drinking and driving incidents from occurring since students venture off campus to obtain alcohol. Turner rejected the idea. Dr. Turner said he's not ruling out a pub in the future. He said very few upperclassmen and graduate students who could legally drink live on campus, which raises the potential of driving while intoxicated.
"The Task Force has met its charge through careful study and a report that contains comprehensive recommendations. I thank them for their diligence in examining a complex issue that is challenging institutions across the nation."
etc4640@dccd.edu
Chancellors and presidents of universities, such as Duke and Dartmouth, are collaborating with lawmakers to change the current drinking age in their states from 21 to 18 in an effort to help prevent binge drinking and reckless behavior.
The Amethyst Initiative, a project of the non-profit organization Choose Responsibi-lity, calls for a network of colleges to discuss changing the legal drinking age. According to the initiative's website, their supporters believe young adults who have an opportunity to experience alcohol at an earlier stage in life will learn to limit consumption and exercise more control, especially those attending four-year universities.
Nick De Santis is a staff assistant at Choose Responsibility; he believes that our culture needs to discuss the drinking age more.
"The current drinking age, which is 21, is just not working," De Santis said. "Here at Choose Responsibility we do not necessarily want to change the legal drinking age, we just want to have an honest, open debate about it".
De Santis also said parents should be educated as well because their involvement could prevent bad drinking habits. And the support of college presidents and chancellors will help promote alcohol awareness, according to De Santis.
"We have 130 [signatories] so far with Amethyst Initiative" DeSantis said. "We hope that this can benefit the American society in the long run," he also said.
But not everyone agrees that this is the correct way to go about preventing problems.
"There are no overt actions needed regarding the position of the DCCCD. I have stated my personal opinion, when requested, and that is the current legal drinking age should be retained," DCCCD Chancellor Wright Lassiter said.
Lassiter bases his opinion on reports of underage drinking in the past,
"When I read of the increasing number of incidents involving persons under age 21 involved in traffic accidents, I have reservations about lowering the legal drinking age. I received this message from one of the institutions that I graduated from and where I now serve on a national advisory committee: 'An 18-year old Auburn University student was killed Wednesday night in a three-vehicle crash on Alabama Highway 14. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the collision.'"
Dr. Lassiter's stance is echoed by Eastfield College's president, Dr. Carol Brown, but she also does not believe the change of the legal drinking age would affect Eastfield as strongly as four-year institutions.
"I understand the concern of wanting to change the legal drinking age, but I believe the best thing to do is educating the consequences that comes with drinking," Brown said. She also stated, if the legal drinking age were to change, Eastfield's campus would not be directly affected, since it is a commuter school.
Herlinda Glasscock, President of North Lake College, has mixed feelings about the Amethyst Initiative.
"It's an issue that needs to be carefully thought out," Glasscock stated. "One size does not fit all."
Glasscock also believes that students need to learn about consumption. "I grew up with a relaxed approach. I dined with wine at the table, and there I learned my limits."
SMU's campus has launched a program called Task Force. The program that provides education on preventing drug and alcohol problems, has emerged on SMU's campus in 2007, after three SMU students died from substance abuse. SMU plans to prevent that from occurring again. Task Force's purpose is to go beyond alcohol and drug policies and touch on all facets of campus life - academic, social and medical.
"For years SMU has maintained programs aimed at awareness, prevention and assistance, and although students are ultimately responsible for their individual choices, it is time for us as a university community to re-examine our efforts," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner, who appointed the Task Force in June of 2007.
In early 2008 SMU's task force proposed the idea of adding a campus pub. The force's idea was to prevent drinking and driving incidents from occurring since students venture off campus to obtain alcohol. Turner rejected the idea. Dr. Turner said he's not ruling out a pub in the future. He said very few upperclassmen and graduate students who could legally drink live on campus, which raises the potential of driving while intoxicated.
"The Task Force has met its charge through careful study and a report that contains comprehensive recommendations. I thank them for their diligence in examining a complex issue that is challenging institutions across the nation."
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