“Philosophically, people would question why, if you can do so many things, can’t you do [drink alcohol],” said Rich Jacks, Director of Counseling. Many would agree he has a point: at 18, individuals are legally allowed to smoke, vote, buy porn and go to war, but they are not permitted to drink.
In the past few weeks, the Amethyst Initiative, a statement signed by 129 college presidents calling elected officials to support open conversation about the drinking age, has come to the attention of people throughout the nation.
Twenty-four years ago, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act passed, prohibiting people under the age of 21 from consuming alcohol, in hopes that this would decrease the number of alcohol-related deaths and accidents. Today, controversy centers around the argument that lowering the drinking age would promote moderation.
“The issue here is student safety. That’s the reason people are against it, and why people are for it,” said junior Allison Gill.
For parents, who spend their lives protecting their children, this means keeping them from becoming a statistic.
For many college presidents, there are other angles to look at. George Bridges, President of Whitman, said, “As an administrator, I believe that a lower drinking age would make aspects of working on alcohol issues with students easier. All students would have legal status. There would be less worry and concern about so called students being ‘minors in possession’ and in violation of state laws.”
However, Bridges has refused to sign the initiative.
“As President I won’t sign the initiative even though I personally believe that discussion of these issues is important. It is a practice at Whitman that the college’s presidents do not endorse partisan political initiatives or movements. The Board of Trustees has the authority and responsibility for directing the college ultimately. They would need to make a collective decision to endorse an initiative of this sort. In other words, the decision is above my pay grade.”
In representing Whitman College, Bridges and the faculty work to give students the chance to experiment, without worrying about huge repercussions.
“We are a college about discovery. That involves experimentation. Intellectually, emotionally, personally. If an administration is repressive, students can’t experiment and take risks in an open environment,” said Bridges.
Students at Whitman do not take advantage of the administration’s less strict policy.
Barbara Maxwell, Associate Dean of Students, said, “The majority of Whitman students consume alcohol from time to time, but it doesn’t consume their lives. You can’t be successful here if you drink excessively. Whitman students typically act in ways that don’t interfere with school, friends, family and other things important to them.”
From the view of a student, Gill says, “Binge drinking isn’t as big here [as on other college campuses]. A higher percentage of students drink moderately or not at all. I’ve never felt like drinking has a strong presence on campus.”
Students at Whitman are given the chance to discover and explore life’s possibilities. Ellen Collette, Director of the Welty Health Center, said that students “have the opportunity to be on their own and define themselves.” The college experience is unique and often coincides with multiple areas of experimentation.
Stephanie Silver, a junior, likes the idea of the initiative on the basis that it “legitimately looks for what’s best rather than just taking sides.”
“Dialogue is one of the best things,” Gill agreed. “So far it has been dominated by presidents and angry parents. Student voice needs to come out.”
