Wellesley, Whitman, or Grinnell?

snorky
Fri, 21 Apr 2006 21:28:07 +0000

California – I’ve been to two parents’ weekends and at each the president speaks to alcohol issues. Grinnell – like every other college campus in america – is very concerned about alcohol - especially binge drinking. The president said the binge drinking rate is lower than the national average. The administration has tended to look the other way somewhat because they want to be sure that they don’t drive the dangerous drinking activity underground and they don’t want students to hesitate about getting help when a friend is in trouble and needs medical treatment. (I work at a large state university - and happen to be in a job where I review the security reports every day – and I would say that it’s not an overstatement to say that almost one student a day is “transported” to the ER due to alcohol. Most of the time, it’s another student that calls 911.) The other thing Grinnell does is to create alternatives for students. The new gym and student center are designed to provide safe spots to play. Also, I think that’s part of why social activites are mostly free. My daughter says the students feel that the administration and the local police are starting to get a little tougher on alcohol. I was very impressed with Grinnell’s thoughtful approach – but it certainly has not stopped drinking on campus. And I have yet to hear about a campus that has had a lot of success in controlling it. Many have tried. Honestly - I don’t think marajuana is as worrisome. It just makes you goofy and stupid, but it won’t kill you.