Spring Break
University presidents aim to dodge alcohol liability
Gina Lee Nicki - Daily Utah Chronicle (University of Utah)
Issue date: 8/26/08 Section: Opinion
Knowing all of this, the presidents must be giving up the fight against underage drinking. If it is time to have the debate about lowering the drinking age, then we should have it.
But the call for the debate is coming from the leaders who are supposed to be holding students to a high standard. Instead, they are only lowering the standard and ridding themselves of the liability for the illegal actions going on under their watch.
These presidents may say they have the students' best interests in mind, but research shows otherwise. Their actions are teaching students that if you do something illegal long enough, it will become legal.
University of Utah President Michael Young agreed that underage drinking is a serious problem around the country, but said about the presidents behind the initiative: "I don't question their motives. I believe they have the best interests of the students in mind."
However, Young disagrees with the initiative.
"Lowering the drinking age is unlikely to have the salutary benefits they desire. The illicit factor of illegal drinking is only a small part of the problem. The larger problem is that it is unregulated," he said.
The presidents in the initiative should encourage campuses to increase security around areas they know to be hot spots of alcohol use. More needs to be done to inform students of the risks involved with alcohol.
Instead of just lowering the drinking age, there needs to be a graduated system to full, legal drinking.
Much like a driver's license permit, teens would be allowed to drink alcohol in regulated amounts, only with parents in public restaurants, thereby teaching them how to drink responsibly so when they get to college, alcohol isn't the forbidden fruit that it is now.
The solution is to teach personal responsibility. What lessons are we learning from the presidents who want to avoid being responsible for their students' illegal actions?
The presidents behind the Initiative need to look for alternative solutions rather than giving up the responsibility they have to their students.
But the call for the debate is coming from the leaders who are supposed to be holding students to a high standard. Instead, they are only lowering the standard and ridding themselves of the liability for the illegal actions going on under their watch.
These presidents may say they have the students' best interests in mind, but research shows otherwise. Their actions are teaching students that if you do something illegal long enough, it will become legal.
University of Utah President Michael Young agreed that underage drinking is a serious problem around the country, but said about the presidents behind the initiative: "I don't question their motives. I believe they have the best interests of the students in mind."
However, Young disagrees with the initiative.
"Lowering the drinking age is unlikely to have the salutary benefits they desire. The illicit factor of illegal drinking is only a small part of the problem. The larger problem is that it is unregulated," he said.
The presidents in the initiative should encourage campuses to increase security around areas they know to be hot spots of alcohol use. More needs to be done to inform students of the risks involved with alcohol.
Instead of just lowering the drinking age, there needs to be a graduated system to full, legal drinking.
Much like a driver's license permit, teens would be allowed to drink alcohol in regulated amounts, only with parents in public restaurants, thereby teaching them how to drink responsibly so when they get to college, alcohol isn't the forbidden fruit that it is now.
The solution is to teach personal responsibility. What lessons are we learning from the presidents who want to avoid being responsible for their students' illegal actions?
The presidents behind the Initiative need to look for alternative solutions rather than giving up the responsibility they have to their students.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Perry Cook
posted 11/12/08 @ 12:27 AM MST
I think what you have is no one really knows what to do about this. If they crack down on the students then they look like party poopers. If they do nothing then they look like bums. (Continued…)
Post a Comment