<p>The college population is likely three times as large today as when you went to college. There were almost no rape crisis/sexual assault centers - it wasn’t talked about. (In those days or a little earlier, there were virtually no openly gay folks on campus either, even though actual homosexuality rates haven’t changed.) And media wasn’t as hyped up, generally speaking.</p>
<p>But at the small number of “prestige colleges”, the trend does seem to me disturbing.</p>
<p>I would like to offer my own personal insight into the seeming trend of extreme behavior at the “prestige colleges”. First, the student populations at these schools are much more economically diverse than a few decades ago. Financial aid innitiatives have made it possible for qualified students from low income backgrounds to attend these schools side by side with their prep-school educated, silver spoon fed contemporaries. I think most will agree that, in general, students who fall into the highest income categories tend to have a greater “sense of entitlement” than others who are less fortunate. HOWEVER, the exception is the new breed that the elite schools have created, the intellectual “aristocracy” of students who are “entitled” based on merit. Everyone sees the increasing difficulty of getting into the top schools, and those students from average backgrounds who are admitted have worked incredibly hard to get there. Once they arrive on campus and become integrated in the social life, there is a tangible shift in attitude from highschool (where they were working to prove that they COULD be better) to college (where now thay are working to maintain that they ARE better). I realize that perhaps I am not expressing very well the often transient attitude/“feeling” that exists on campus, but it is something that is implicitly and generally understood by almost everyone at my school. There is no general outrage over behavior that at my friend’s state school would prompt outspoken dissent from both other students and the administration. While I love my school, it is a very sad thing to me that our administration has to take precautions to insure that members the senior class do not throw bags of urine and other substances on the junior class during a tradion called “Hey Day”. I doubt that among a similar cross section of a less prestigious school such extreme behavior would even be an issue. Returning to the topic of alcohol abuse and the resulting behaviors, I believe that the tendency to drink too much at college is shared by students everywhere. However, while it is little publicized, the amount of property destruction and other criminal activites (while under the influence of alcohol) is incredibly prevalent here and at other ivies (according to friends who attend). A glance through the archives of our student newspaper would shock the parents of prospective students. We are supposed to be the “best and brightest”, but we have a dark underside that I don’t know any better way to explain than what I have attempted here.</p>
<p>GOODBYE PARTY SCHOOL REPUTATION
From today's news:
</p>
<p>UGA Toughens Stance On Underage Drinking</p>
<p>POSTED: 2:25 pm EDT April 26, 2006</p>
<p>ATHENS – The University of Georgia moved today to crack down on underage drinking among its students.</p>
<p>The school will now suspend repeat offenders for at least a semester and saddle first-time violators with probation for a school year.</p>
<p>UGA spokesman Tom Jackson says the policy also leaves room for more severe suspensions or expulsions of “egregious” violators.<br>
For the complete report, see: <a href=“http://www.wsbtv.com/news/9017711/detail.html[/url]”>http://www.wsbtv.com/news/9017711/detail.html</a></p>
<p>And, take a look at this list from the Hobart and William Smith College website, at the initiatives at colleges all over the country to provide education regarding alcohol abuse and prevention <a href=“http://alcohol.hws.edu/current/inthenews.htm[/url]”>http://alcohol.hws.edu/current/inthenews.htm</a></p>
<p>Personally, I think that because the drinking age was 18 when I went to school (yes, I am that old…) it was not such a novelty, and we were not “getting away” with something illicit. It just wasn’t that big a deal. Yes, we drank. And probably at times too much. But I don’t personally know of anyone who died of alcohol poisoning or from issues associated with drinking.
The 19 yr old kid, Lewis Fish, who died at UGA in late January, died from a combination of alcohol and drugs (the latter brought to him by a “friend” visiting from another college), and too much partying that weekend. This is all so tragic and so unnecessary. I am glad to see UGA clamp down on the underage drinking problem. It may be a bit extreme, but if it saves a life, it is worth it.</p>
<p>Totally lame.</p>
<p>“I would like to offer my own personal insight into the seeming trend of extreme behavior at the “prestige colleges”. First, the student populations at these schools are much more economically diverse than a few decades ago.”</p>
<p>All the data I have seen suggests just the opposite. (That is, compared with 25 years ago - not 50 years ago.) The percentage of students coming from the top 10% of American families has grown - and among half of those (between 90-95th percentile) are receiving “need-based” aid.</p>
<p>Are you suggesting that low-income students (who can’t afford a fifth a month, no less 3 in two weeks), are the bulk of the new heavy drinkers?</p>
<p>cavalier-
You should probably just go ahead and change your cc name to lucifer. Please take care of yourself so you don’t end up like him. He thought it wouldn’t happen to him…</p>
<p>Yea, jym, that makes sense. Comparing the kid who hasn’t even touched alcohol in close to two months (because he’s had other things to do) to the kid who boasted of being able to drink more than anyone he knew make a lot of sense. Bravo. Your post exemplifies the CC parent mentality.</p>
<p>c-
Why exactly do you have such a giant chip on your shoulder? There is no reason for hostility, cav.</p>
<p>C-? Are you grading posts?</p>
<p>I don’t have a chip on my shoulder so much as an astonishment at the ubiquity of the opinion among the parents here that any and all alcohol consumption among youth is bad and dangerous. And that any who defend its use are headed down a dangerous path. And that tragedies like the one noted in the OP were surely caused by alcohol. And by the response against the person who said that it might not have had anything to do with alcohol. Etc, etc, etc. Drinking is bad, sure. And yes, many kids have dangerous drinking habits. But most don’t. In fact, for most, drinking on weekends is a way to unwind, loosen up and have fun. But not on CC. Oh well.</p>
<p>Did we ever say ALL alcoholic consumption…show me where…We are discussing the binge drinking that through surveys of college students, appears to be on the increase</p>
<p>The C- is an abbreviation for cavalier302 btw</p>
<p>If you don’t drink to excess, good for you…this is for those that do</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The attitude that I perceive the parents to have is that alcohol consumption by college students, particularly by those under the age of 21, is a great evil. Any mention of a party or drinking or related behavior garners all kinds of posts expressing shock that college students would engage in such behavior. It’s really a unique outlook that I only see on CC.</p>
<p>Mini–</p>
<p>Yes, I am suggesting that low income students at the top schools fall into the heavy drinking category. However, it is the reverse at the majority of colleges where the lower income students are by far more moderate in their drinking habits. Obviously, this is just a generalization and there are plenty of individual students (low and high income) who do not fall into the excess drinking category.</p>
<p>The cost of alcohol has very little to do with who ends up drinking heavily. Alcohol is available in large quantities and for free three nights a week (frat parties, off-campus house parties, and club/team social events). Whoever hosts the party provides the alcohol, and if it is an open event than anyone is welcome to “mooch”. Your analysis is a little more accurate in terms of drug use–it is much more common for middle to upper class students to use “hard drugs” (I’m excluding marijuana) because of the prohibitive nature of the prices.</p>
<p>NonAbsolute, the only hard drugs I’ve heard of being used around here are coke and X. What others are typically used nationwide? I can’t see something like crystal meth having any appeal. Maybe pharmaceuticals, though.</p>
<p>
hahahahahah
C- Thats an abbreviation for your name.
instead of writing “cavalier”, since we abbreviate things to letters here, and as I commonly do with other posters, I abbreviated-- cgm is citigirlsmom, mowc is momofwildchild, and you, m’dear are “c”. But, I kinda like your explanation better.</p>
<p>And really, just for the record, as cgm said above, we aren’t the ones overgeneralizing…</p>
<p>Whatever you say.</p>
<p>
C-
This is not at ALL what we parents are saying. I drank in college, and I know my s drinks. In fact, I have helped him stock his liquor cabinet. There is a HUGE difference between responsible drinking and irresponsible, dangerous behavior.
If you would like to continue to argue your point, please do so with someone else. I am bidding you a good night.</p>
<p>Cavalier,</p>
<p>You’re right, both coke and exctasy are very common. Along with speed, meth, and I’ve seen a couple internationals do heroin. There’s the usual problem of contraband ADD drugs as well, which basically fall in the same category as speed.
Again, please don’t think that I’m suggesting that everyone here does hard drugs. All I can say is that when I first came here I wanted to “fit in” to certain groups, and in the process of trying to do so, I realized that certain behaviors are much more prevalent in these groups than in others on campus.</p>
<p>cavalier - show your mother this thread. At least let her have the chance to weigh in, to look you in the face and tell you she loves you and you cannot die young.</p>
<p>Why would she need to tell me that? I’m neither a practitioner nor an advocate of the dangerous behaviors that lead to death by intoxication.</p>