<p>^well at least most adults have fully developed brains</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s certainly news to me and most HS classmates in college and our college classmates. Most were very responsible about their drinking from college to the present. In my case…I drink more now as a thirtysomething* than I did in college. </p>
<ul>
<li>1-2 bottles of beer/max/event at friends’ social gatherings and on occasion when attending live musical events. Actually have a much higher tolerance than that but I’ve better things to do with my money.</li>
</ul>
<p>
</p>
<p>Last I checked, an 18 year old is considered an adult under US law. </p>
<p>Also, you can also make an arguably stronger case about participation in wars or politics…except the effects can be fatal/traumatic for everyone…adults included.</p>
<p>^ so what good came from it?</p>
<p>While some states do not have religious exemption laws on the books, I have not seen bouncers at any Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran or Orthadox services. I don’t think even the most ardent puritan wants to try and cross the 1st amendment.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The same good one gets from any leisurely hobbies which relaxes and bring some level of enjoyment…whether it’s reading books, collecting stamps, going on dates, playing a musical instrument…or attempting to in my case, or hunting.</p>
<p>Drinking alcohol does provide health benefits. But not in excess.</p>
<p>Collecting stamps is relaxing like drinking is relaxing? Seriously!!! How would the frat boys do it, collecting waaaaay too many stamps at a time? This discussion has entered a different galaxy.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So in your world, the only people who enjoy drinking even a glass/bottle of wine/beer on a social basis are all “frat boys”. Stereotype much?</p>
<p>Incidentally, I attended an LAC where fraternities/sororities have been officially banned for around 130+ years…</p>
<p>Why would you not want your kids to have fun?</p>
<p>Why is alcohol necessary to having fun?</p>
<p>because college sucks otherwise. </p>
<p>all you do is work and have to hear from overprotective parents about this and this and this.</p>
<p>kids aren’t going to grow up when you try to police them so much. </p>
<p>maybe yall should take a peep at what’s been going on in good ol’ Amurricah, and see what happens when you try to take away freedoms</p>
<p>LOL so this is becoming a libertarian issue… not just the let me do I want when I want how i want rant??
I was not saying a THING about restricting, policing- YOU jumped to that conclusion.
I was merely asking why alcohol is NECESSARY to having fun.</p>
<p>That is my question still. Is college all that bad? Do you have to medicate yourself, poison your body to have fun? If so, I wonder why. There are plenty of healthy ways to relax, laugh, connect with others, get endorphins beside consume alcohol and drugs.
One drink, ok. But more than that, why?
Explore ALL the wonderful freedom, liberties and options you have right there in front of you!!!</p>
<p>You might want to check SPE’s prior posts before engaging too seriously, performersmom.</p>
<p>Thanks for the head up! Figured as such, but it is helpful to get a student’s perspective@@@@, and the urge to reform or at least open the mind is hard to resist (wink)</p>
<p>Anyway, maybe my words will help someone else…</p>
<p>That was my first thought…a STUDENT finally made it over here, we can stop speculating about what kids are doing and not doing. But I’m not sure SPE is a student. In any case, seems not to be a CC member who enjoys engaging in serious discussion as much as delivering provocative one liners ;)</p>
<p>I’m honored you think my one-liners are provocative Ohiobassmom!</p>
<p>And yes, college sucks. It drains the life out of you. So what if kids want to drink to have fun? </p>
<p>One drink? why drink one drink?</p>
<p>9 drinks is much more fun.</p>
<p>For the record, I don’t drink anymore…but I’m not about to tell kids they can’t drink. </p>
<p>and OBM I’m a former student at a top 20 private. I can’t go back because I can’t afford to attend any longer. </p>
<p>…now that I think about it…maybe I should self-medicate. </p>
<p>I prefer to puff on things that are less toxic though.</p>
<p>and lol…cmon…people aren’t free to explore things at college. For every positive thing you do, you get knocked down three more pegs. </p>
<p>My mom tried to kill herself last year. Professor told me I still had to turn in a paper on time. My friend was so sick he had to be in the hospital and missed a lot of class. Professor didn’t care, he had to drop the class. </p>
<p>If you wanna know what kids are doing…</p>
<p>lots of drugs
lots of alcohol</p>
<p>on the weekend, on the weekday, on exam days, before class, after class, during class.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It wasn’t all that long ago that a student joined these kinds of conversations here at the parents forum. He, too, loved to be a bit provocative, advocating binge drinking for those who “could handle it.”</p>
<p>And then he went to visit friends at spring break and died of alcohol poisoning, alone on a dorm bed.</p>
<p>Do any current posters remember our departed friend?</p>
<p>Most parents are less interested in prohibition than they are in figuring out how to stop the EXCESS that is killing people and ruining lives. We know parents who’ve lost children or other loved ones to this problem, and it’s a club we don’t want to join.</p>
<p>Maybe treat it as a normal activity in college, don’t preach abstinence, and then the message about not going way over the line might get through. But it might not. Most-99.9% will get through it OK. Still more likely to be killed riding a bike to school or driving home from break. Or suicide.</p>
<p>The poster was lucifer11287 … he often argued the social benefits of drinking and that drinking A LOT was fine as long as one knew their own limits … and then he died from alcohol poisoning partying while visiting a friend at another school.</p>
<p>This thread is far too long for me to read in its entirety right now, but as an RA I’d just like to throw in my experiences and perspectives on the matter. </p>
<p>So, basically to reiterate what I believe some other posters have said, there’s really nothing that we can do with students we know have been drinking unless they are engaging in other behaviors that violate policy, or if they are so intoxicated that we are concerned for their health. Generally the marker for that is that if the student can get into the building, look you in the eye and have a coherent conversation, and then get his or her key in the door, we generally leave it alone. </p>
<p>When I have confronted situations with alcohol, it has been because of other related violations. Generally, if we find drinking in the residence hall it is because there is ridiculous noise involved, or people are stupid and shouting things like “SHOTS!” that can be heard through the door. Or they’re REALLY dumb and have alcohol out with the door open, which I haven’t personally encountered but some of my fellow RAs have… Regarding marijuana, in case anyone is curious, we immediately call UPD if we think we smell it. </p>
<p>My school is definitively a party school, but I have still gotten an excellent education here. It may surprise some of the parents here, but I know many people who party like crazy who are also very good students. They keep it to the weekends and make sure that they get their work done first, but they definitely do get trashed. Others, though, can’t find that balance and they don’t last long. I just had to call EMS the other day because a girl was completely non-responsive, and word on the street was that this was her second time in this situation. Very sad and scary stuff. </p>
<p>I can’t speak for other schools, but I think a huge part of the problem isn’t the schools or lack of enforcement, but establishments off-campus. My school has a clearly defined alcohol policy, has well-trained RAs, makes an effort to provide alternatives through residence life as well as organizations dedicated to put on fun, alcohol-free programs, but it continues. Here, while we’re trying to teach moderation and responsible drinking, local bar establishments are offering t-shirts to people who drink a dangerous amount of alcohol in a short time, who in turn come back to us a mess, and in some cases need to be sent to the hospital. Many of them are known to let in people without really checking IDs, as well. There’s only so much that schools can do when there are these kind of establishments working against us. </p>
<p>Not sure what solutions to offer, but that’s just my experience with the whole situation. I find the whole situation really troubling.</p>