Serena Quaye

Statement: Dry Campus vs. Wet Campus Dialogue      

               Dry campus laws are ridiculous. I'm not a drinker, but I occasionally engage in the consumption of one or two alcohol beverages in association with friends, or to celebrate an important occasion. However, I enjoy the comfort of an alcohol free environment, but I see no harm to my personal well-being by those who choose to heavily engage in alcohol consumption in the solidarity of their apartments, or within the closeness of their peers. And if the findings cited in "College Parties, Minus the Beer Binges," article from ProQuest Wall Street Journal are stated accurately, College administrators, and faculties, can suppress over the limit alcohol binging by students without completely enforcing alcohol ban on campus, which does not prevent students from using alcohol, despite the consequences at hand. This certainly can take a lot of discussion. But the need to address alcohol intake, and/or the problem it cause should be the students' responsibility, and not the administration decision. I drink alcohol on occasion, but I would be upset if someone classified my habit as problematic, or passed rules that prohibit and completely infringed upon my rights to consumed alcohol beverages, legally permitted under the state laws on alcohol consumption. College students are people, and like people they make choices, both good and bad. Before we make laws or imposed bans, we have to consider those that not only save our reputation, but are truly dedicated towards the safety and well-being of college students. Maybe the attention here is on the wrong people, the students rather than the alcohol production companies that fantasize alcohol through ads and commercials as something that can be used for pleasure. Why should I, or others like me, who engage alcohol consumption once in a while be penalize because of those who do so without limits, or have my legal rights infringe upon by College administrations whom choose reputation over socialization? Perhaps so, but if College administrations truly seek to target alcohol problems on campus, and seek to minimize its effects, creating complete ban of alcohol from College Campuses certainly isn't the way to go. A better and more effective measures to address the issue would be the inclusion of students themselves, faculties, and Organizations to make available more fun, exciting, and sociable events for students on late nights and weekends, that would diverge their attention from boredom and from resulting to alcohol use as their number one means to having fun on campus.