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Some university presidents and SIUC students disagree on the subject of alcohol.
While the presidents hope more students can legally consume alcohol, some students think it would be a terrible idea.
Presidents from universities such as Duke, Ohio State and Syracuse developed a plan called the Amethyst Initiative to start a debate about lowering the drinking age to 18 in hopes it would decrease binge drinking.
Markitta Porter, a senior from Chicago studying civil engineering, said university presidents debating about lowering the drinking age seems hypocritical.
"They are always worried about the commotion drinking causes on campus and now they want to lower the drinking age?" Porter said. "They are just going to have more problems if that happens."
The nightlife could take a turn for the worse too, Porter said. While most of the bars in Carbondale allow 19-year-olds to enter, Porter said allowing 18-year-olds to drink would make for a different atmosphere that could be unpleasant.
Larry Dietz, vice chancellor for student affairs, said he hopes concerns such as Porter's don't become a reality.
Dietz said the university would not support the push to lower the drinking age. He said doing so would be the easy way out.
"The problem of alcohol abuse can't be solved by lowering the age," Dietz said. "Alcohol abuse is a matter of education. We need to continue to look for ways to make students aware of the help we offer and how to be responsible."
The university already has programs in place to help those for whom alcohol abuse becomes a problem. Dietz said if a student is rushed to the hospital because of intoxication, the parents will be notified and the university can begin a joint effort to help the student.
But one student said the responsibility doesn't belong to the university - it belongs to the students.
Drew Rowland, an undecided freshman from Harrisburg, said if 18-year-olds can be trusted to enroll in the military and live on their own, they should have the option to drink alcohol.
"A lot of people drink because they are not allowed to," Rowland said. "Changing the law might not have a big effect, but an 18-year-old should be able to drink and be accountable for what they do."
The drinking problem could be just as much perception as reality, according to information compiled from surveys issued by SIUC's Core Institute Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Studies.
According to one survey, 95 percent of students said they drank alcohol one time or fewer per week on average, but 77 percent of students said they believed their peers drank three times or more every week.
Alison Brandon, a freshman from Monticello studying accounting, said a law change would not affect her because she does not drink, but it could be beneficial to others.
Brandon said an example is the age requirement of 16 years old for a driver's license and the number of accidents decreases each year someone has a license. She said the same could happen and alcohol related problems could decrease by the time someone turns 21.
"There are debates about legalizing marijuana so I don't see why this law couldn't actually happen," Brandon said. "Anything is possible."
Jeff Engelhardt can be reached at
536-3311 ext. 268 or jengel@siu.edu
