<p>Icarus, here is the public health argument, as I understand it, for a higher drinking age:</p>
<p>"Brain researchers are finding that alcohol has a particularly toxic effect on the brain cells of adolescents. That’s because their brain cells are still growing, says Susan Tapert, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. </p>
<p>"The regions of the brain important for judgment, critical thinking and memory do not fully mature until a person is in his or her mid-20s. Tapert found that alcohol can damage the normal growth and development of a teenager’s brain cells in these regions. "</p>
<p>On that basis, I think it makes sense to ask kids to wait before being old enough to buy alcohol on their own. As for whether 18 should be old enough to join the military, I don’t have a position on that.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone believes that 15 minutes with Larry Bacow is going to be enough to bring about a cultural change on the Tufts campus, but it’s a start and Bacow’s taking an interest and I applaud him. I imagine he might spearhead efforts on campus to work on this–I don’t know. I guess I’m not so cynical that I feel the need to trash his efforts. Why do you?</p>
<p>At a school with a large student population and serious drinking issues, this kind of thing would take up literally all a president’s time. He would have no time left over to meet his normal responsibilities.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see what kind of effect this policy has on the drinking at Tufts.</p>
<p>I don’t think he’s meeting with every student who has had an alcohol-related infraction. Instead, I think he’s meeting with the ones who’ve had the most serious ones, especially problems that could be life threatening (like the one who was passed out on the president’s lawn in broad daylight).</p>
<p>He mentioned this at the accepted student’s day. I wasn’t taking notes, but I think he said he talked to any kid who had to be transported to the hospital. As for the poster upthread who thought he could be doing more constructive things with the students, he also instituted a Tufts team for the Boston marathon and has run with them several years.</p>
<p>My son-in-law ran with this group the first year Bacow ran the marathon. Son-in-law though B. was a good guy and did care about students. The group continues with students and alums and others who raise money for Tufts every year. There was a PBS special about marathon training and the filmmakers followed the group from Tufts as they trained for Boston.</p>
<p>Of the many challenges Tufts faces next year, finding a replacement for Larry Bacow will be one of the most difficult. He is beloved on campus and this article demonstrates one of the many reasons why. He cares passionately about the students, especially their health and welfare. He is not just a “figurehead” that lives in the “big house”. He tries to engage in the lives of the students as much as he can. He hostss a “Halfway Through” party for the sophomore class and wishes them well on their Study Abroad Adventures. He also invites every senior to dinner at his home sometime before they graduate. He will be missed.</p>