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Voices: Wondering about direction A tale of two parties: Top-notch entertainment eclipses kegs at campus events Underage drinker questions WU policy Police chief on code compliance Q&A with Chad West, SU President
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Jill Carnaghi has had to cradle a mourning mother in her arms. Twice. Another would be three too many.
As the University of Vermont's director of residential life in the early and mid-1990s, Carnaghi twice was called upon to assist the grieving families of sons who had died from alcohol-related causes. One stumbled and then tumbled off a cliff. The second succumbed to an allergic food reaction after losing some sense of what he was eating while drinking beer.
"It just tears you apart to see the mother, the grandmother, the twin brother that looks exactly like the student that died -- the twin brother who had started a SADD chapter in their hometown," Carnaghi said.
Now 18 months into her role as assistant vice chancellor for students and director of campus life at Washington University, Carnaghi looked unsettled when she said quietly, "We've been living on borrowed time here... ."
"No better, no worse" is the simplex shorthand in comparing Washington University to the rest of the nation's colleges and universities in the ongoing epidemic of campus alcohol consumption. "A bit more tolerant, much more fortunate" would be more forthright. Even those who contest the first part of that assertion don't dispute the second.
| Binge Drinking: How colleges compare | |
|---|---|
| Binge Drinkers | |
| Not competitive* | 37.8% |
| Competitive | 44.5% |
| Very competitive | 46.8% |
| Highly competitive | 39.6% |
| Small < 5000 | 41.5% |
| Medium, 5,001 - 10,000 | 42.0% |
| Large > 10,000 | 43.5% |
| Public school | 43.3% |
| Private school | 41.3% |
| Northeast | 46.1% |
| South | 40.9% |
| North Central | 47.4% |
| West | 33.7% |
| Religious affiliation | 40.4% |
| Nonreligious | 43.1% |
Worst-case scenarios aside, college and university presidents have designated alcohol as their number-one concern. While the numbers show that virtually every school in every demographic category is facing the same problem, each school has its own individual idiosyncrasies to overcome.
Here, the challenge is to continue changing a culture -- a culture that at one time featured a chugging contest in Bowles Plaza, a culture that once included students formally employed as "campus representatives" by beer distributors, a culture that until recently allowed pre-registered kegs at dormitory socials.
"I don't think anyone can call Washington University a 'party school,'" said Karen Levin Coburn, assistant vice chancellor for students and dean of the freshman transition. "But if a lot of students continue to believe that the University has an 'anything goes' attitude toward alcohol, than that becomes self-perpetuating. We need to work together to set clear community expectations and to grapple with the challenge of alcohol management. Any university that is responsible and honest about this issue should be discussing it."
That discussion has begun in earnest. Leading the dialogue is James E. McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "We know that we have a problem here, as other institutions do," McLeod acknowledged. "We know that we are not immune. There are an infinite number of ways to approach the problem, but I think it's best for us to approach it as a community issue -- supporting the health and wellness of our young people."
Coburn concurs. "When students have been drinking, they are really putting themselves at risk, so that's a concern," she said. "But the entire community also feels the effects of abusive alcohol -- even students who don't drink at all. It may mean that it is noisy on the floor. It may mean that people are getting sick in the bathrooms. It may mean there is vandalism. It may mean that students are the recipients of unwanted sexual advances."
Those second-hand effects come to the attention of William Taylor, chief of University police. "Quite frankly, in a large percentage of the calls we deal with on this campus -- particularly over the weekends -- intoxication is an element," he said. "A large, large percentage."
Two sets of statistics underline the point:
| Drinking styles of students who consumed alcohol | |
|---|---|
| Drinks to get drunk | 52.3% |
| Was drunk three or more times in the past month | 27.9% |
| Drank on 10 or more occasions in the past 30 days | 20.4% |
In addition, in July 1997, University Police shifted to Hoffner's purview. Previously, the force had been part of Business Affairs. "We shifted from a business entity to an organization that interacts very closely with residential life and campus life," said Taylor. "That has resulted in more of a partnership between the various staffs -- much stronger than in the past."
Binding these relationships has been a strong leadership structure that has grown to include, among others, Laurie Reitman, M.D., director of Student Health and Counseling Service; Jill Stratton, associate director of housing and residential life; Betsy Foy, health service quality management coordinator; Mimi Weiss, director of health and wellness; Julie Saker, director of judicial programs; Steve Malter, coordinator of programming and all-campus events; and Karin Horstman, coordinator of Greek affairs. The latter five all have been hired in the past nine months.
The result: a healthy blend of fresh ideas and long-term perspective -- all aiding the desired holistic approach.
"We've got the team together," McLeod said. "We've really started to do the things we can do immediately -- and now we have to plan a much more broad-gauged, substantial response."
The first joint effort was to review the University's alcohol and drug policy, which had been established in 1989. In its April 1998 report to McLeod, the task force left the policy fully intact. "Not a word has changed -- unless there was some kind of typo," Carnaghi quipped. What has changed is the implementation.
The most notable changes have come on the South 40, which houses 2,600 undergraduates, including virtually all 1,450-plus freshmen. There now is zero tolerance for kegs, for alcohol in the lounges and common areas in the residential houses, or for open containers outdoors. In addition, suite parties -- historically a common occurrence -- face new limits. Guest list capacity has gone from 40 to a more fire-code-friendly 20.
Braided with the decree, though, is this concession to reality: students have, are, will and always will drink. Thus, the obvious loop-hole: a student's room is regarded as a sanctuary, regardless of the occupant's age, as long as the actions within are "responsible."
Jill Stratton said that an outsider's perspective led her to realize that the pendulum had swung too far, though. Stratton's sister, who is a senior at another school, spent the summer at Washington University as a resident advisor (RA). "One day, my sister mentioned that a college student walked into a computer lab with a bottle of rum. She said, 'I didn't stop them because I know you all don't care about that.' I thought, 'Whoa! We need to better relay and uphold our expectations.'"
Nevertheless, implementation of the policy has, in large part, fallen into the hands of fellow students: the RAs who help oversee each floor. The new directives were presented to the 79 RAs, including 63 rookies, this summer as part of an RA training retreat.
"I told them that I knew this was going to be hard," Stratton recalled. "I said, 'This is changing a culture and you have a major role in shaping this community.' We didn't have any major disagreements, but some hands flew up. A few people questioned that they won't have the same kind of rapport with the residents and that this is not what they signed up for. Most, though, told me we were on the right track."
Back across Forsyth Boulevard, the fraternities and the major campus parties have undergone subtler changes. The tweaks include wrist-banding students who are of legal drinking age and incorporating licensed third-party vendors to distribute alcohol.
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But for every action there is a reaction. In this case, Taylor reports that students are doing more "preparatory" or "pre-party" drinking. "Because the distribution at functions is more controlled, some students are making like camels -- trying to ingest enough alcohol to last them through the evening," he said. "Of course, when you concentrate your consumption like that, you're more likely to have negative effects."
Carroll said the response to that adolescent approach is clear. "Students are responsible for their own actions," he said. "However, it falls on us to provide renewed efforts at education in this area and to work at normalizing social behavior."
Tangibly, there are many ideas flowing to help take students' focus off of alcohol. Among them are providing funding for better bands at major parties like WILD [see accompanying story], creating a large-scale campus event in the first few days of orientation and the possibility of a University entertainment facility.
In the end, the focus remains on creating a community that benefits students' health and well-being. "We have such an incredible and bright group of students at Washington University," Carnaghi said. "We have a respectful community -- civility and caring are high priorities. But the question is, where does free will and responsibility begin and end -- and how much are we enabling students?"
Taylor concluded: "I'm proud of how the University is trying to deal with this issue. We're not hiding from it, but we're not having the knee-jerk reactions that have resulted in problems at other institutions. The rumor and the concern is that the University is trying to create a dry campus -- and that certainly is not the case. We're trying to take a very rational approach, one that creates a long-lasting cultural change on campus."
A tale of two partiesTop-notch entertainment eclipses kegs at campus events |
WILD. Washington University's twice-a-year campuswide blow-out in the Quad lives up to its acronym. Last spring's event featured 67 kegs and a raucous rock concert.
Walk In, Lay Down Theatre was born in the late 1970s, the creation of a group of Suite 31 residents -- a.k.a. Team 31. It was conceived as a genteel picnic and outdoor movie theater gathering for students, staff, faculty and their families. Bring the potluck, stake out a place, spread the blankets and spend a few hours.
After a few years, music was added to the equation -- generally a jazz band or the like, providing background music for the picnic. Soon the music became more important, with bigger and better bands providing the punch. People started bringing alcohol. A keg and a couch replaced the blanket and bucket of chicken. Faculty and staff started watching from their windows.
Since the late 1980s, WILD has existed in its current form. The one difference within that decade: the bands used to be better, a lot better.
That's slated to change, said Steve Malter, who was hired last spring as coordinator of programming and all-campus events. "As you improve the quality of the event, I think the quantity of the drinking goes down," he said. "Our goal is not to have prohibition on this campus. Our goal is to have events where alcohol is not the focus, and there are ways to do that. One is allocating more funds to get a better band. A second thing is to add more special activities in the afternoon -- like games and a Taste of St. Louis with food giveaways -- and to really get back to a festival-type atmosphere."
In regard to talent level, fewer "boo's" did translate into less booze at one recent campus event. The acclaimed improvisational comedy troupe Second City -- the training ground for waves of Saturday Night Live performers and alumni -- was brought in by the Homecoming Committee for a Saturday night show in Bowles Plaza. A couple thousand in the audience, six kegs on ice. Two kegs went untapped, another was barely dented. A great time had by all.
At this fall's WILD, Team 31 did self-initiate a number of positive alcohol-related policy changes. They included wrist-banding instead of hand-stamping those 21 and older, advance registration of kegs, a narrowing of the time frame in which kegs could be wheeled in and a massive "think first" button campaign. And yes, kegs did diminish from 67 last spring to 52 this fall.
"The students' motives are pure," Malter said. "'Let's have an amazing event.' That's it."
VOICESWondering about direction |
"I have been at Washington University for almost 17 years... My sense is that Washington University is no worse -- but almost certainly no better -- than most other major universities in this regard.
"Recent research studies which I have read suggest that there is less and less of a "happy medium" with regard to the use of alcohol. Students either are binge drinkers or virtual non-drinkers, with little in between. This polarization has become more pronounced in recent years, according to these studies, and I wonder what this says to us as administrators responsible for the well-being of our students.
"Over the years I have heard a number of complaints from non-drinking students about what they perceive as a lack of activities supportive of their desire not to drink. I wonder what our current policies and practices are in terms of how we provide opportunities for students who want to have fun without alcohol.
"Finally, in an environment in which it seems that we have fewer and fewer examples of responsible social drinking, I wonder what we do to promote safe and responsible use of alcohol among those who do drink. When students divide primarily into non-drinkers and those who drink to excess, how do you develop programs to encourage the responsible and moderate use of alcohol?"
Gary M. Hochberg, Ph.D.
Associate dean of the School of Business
The law is the law |
"In the '80s and even into the '90s, we were in denial. With the tolerance and lax enforcement, we were almost enabling. Students will say, 'If we can't drink on campus, we'll go off-campus.' My feeling is, 'That's your choice, but we're not going to make it easy for you here.'
"You have to be 21 in this state. I can hardly argue the point that breaking the law is responsible. It isn't. We don't live in a vacuum. I can't walk down the streets of Clayton or U City with an open container of beer. Why should students think they can behave differently than they could in the Loop or in uptown Clayton?"
James W. Davis, Ph.D.
Professor of political science in Arts and Sciences
Underage drinker questions WU policy |
"The new "enforcement" of the alcohol policy (i.e. greater control of underage drinking at campus events) has negative and harmful effects on students. I speak from personal experience: the night of Bauhaus I was taken to the hospital after binge drinking in the dorms.
"In my opinion, the current enforcement of the WU drinking policy encourages more 'negative' drinking and less social drinking. Negative drinking would be, for example, taking repeated shots in the dorms before going out to a campus event. Alcohol should never be the primary focus of any activity, but currently WU sanctions this 'behind closed doors' drinking. It seems they would have us drink irresponsibly for the 30 minutes before going out, rather than just drink socially throughout the night at campus events. I would hope that the intent of the new policy is to shift the central focus of events away from drinking. Unfortunately, drinking can then become the central focus before going out and this is sometimes even more dangerous.
"I thank the University and EST for doing everything within their power to make sure I received adequate care the night of Bauhaus. It is the responsibility of the students to learn how to drink responsibly or not at all. However, Washington University should also try to facilitate less dangerous and more responsible ways of drinking."
Shanti Braford
Class of 2002
Police chief on code compliance |
"The expectation of compliance by the members of the campus community has changed. Compliance is what a person does himself, rather than having it enforced upon him. That's part of this change in culture -- the expectation that, in fact, you follow the policy.
"For many, many years, our officers went around with blinders on. There was a time on this campus that if we showed up at a fraternity house because we had a call about a problem, we might possibly be told by an administrator to leave -- that it would be dealt with and we weren't to get involved.
"With the approach that is being taken this year, we are, in fact, partners with the other folks in residential life and student activities. What we're trying to do is maintain a consistency throughout the entire campus. But we're all kind of walking arm in arm, taking baby steps.
"By doing that, we're probably not where we should be or where we desire to be with regard to the statutes. We try to take the educational approach, we're not running around checking IDs.
"As long as we can work together in a measured fashion, given time -- three or four years -- I think we'll have enough of a cultural change that we'll be in good shape. But between now and then, yeah, it's going to be a little touchy at times."
William Taylor
Chief of University police
Q&Awith Chad West, SU president |
Q: What about the law and being 21?
West: "This is college. Students will find a way to drink. Plain and simple. By saying, 'No alcohol on campus,' you push those students who would drink off campus. It's to our benefit to keep us here -- to not drive, to not walk across Forest Park Parkway and get plastered. It is a liability, but I think it's one we need to have."
Q: What's the boundary? Just no open containers?
West: "That's the boundary. You don't blatantly violate Missouri law by walking around with an open container. You can't misuse the responsibility that you have. As far as not having kegs, it's more regulated. So there are a ton of restrictions right now -- and they are working.
Q: Are we at a happy medium?
West: "At this point, I think so. We're in a learning phase right now, where students are unsure what the alcohol policy really is. But students need to realize that there isn't a strong, iron hand coming down now. It's not really that much different from last year.
"I agree with the administration -- as do the majority of students -- that we, ourselves, need to take steps to be more responsible with alcohol. The key is that we don't want administration showing up at parties on the South 40 or in the fraternities and taking over security or the distribution of alcohol. This has happened. If it's left for us, within our own groups of friends, it will put more responsibility in the our hands -- which I think would be taken seriously."
WU policy in black and white |
A federal mandate requires that the following Drug and Alcohol Policy be distributed to all Washington University employees and students. Sections pertaining especially to students and alcohol are excerpted below.
Policy Statement
It is the goal of Washington University to protect the public health and environment of members of the University by promoting a drug-free environment.
In accordance with the mandate of the federal legislation, the manufacture, distribution, possession or use of illicit drugs, and the unlawful possession, use or distribution of alcohol on Washington University property or as part of any of its activities is prohibited.
Legal Sanctions
Missouri's Liquor Control Law makes it illegal for a person under the age of 21 years to purchase, attempt to purchase, or possess any intoxicating liquor (Section 311.325 RSMo.). Violation of this provision can subject one to a fine between $50 and $1,000 and/or imprisonment for a maximum term of one year. County and municipality ordinances contain similar prohibitions and sanctions.
Health Risks
Abuse of alcohol can produce severe health risks, including death. Alcohol consumption causes a number of marked changes in behavior. Even low doses significantly impair the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely, increasing the likelihood that the driver will be involved in an accident. Low to moderate doses of alcohol also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including spouse and child abuse. Moderate to high doses of alcohol cause marked impairments in higher mental functions, severely altering a person's ability to learn and remember information. Very high doses cause respiratory depression and death. If combined with other depressants of the central nervous system, much lower doses of alcohol will produce the effects just described.
Disciplinary Sanctions
The University Judicial Code governs students' conduct and establishes procedures for adjudicating complaints against students. Expulsion is the most severe sanction possible. In addition, residence halls (including fraternity houses) can impose discipline upon residents. The University may terminate the residence hall contracts of students violating its standards.
Editor's notes:
