A recent tragedy atLouisiana State Universityin Baton Rouge involvedthe consumption of a fatal amount of alcohol by a young student. Theincident has college leaders and concerned citizens taking a new look atcontrolling underage drinking on campuses. The deceased student was foundto have had a blood alcohol level six times the legal limit. Investigatorssay the young man would have to have drunk at least 25 drinks in one hourto reach such a level.
At Duke University leaders have taken this issue very seriously.Hundreds of freshmen moved into Duke's dormitories Wednesday and schoolleaders say they want those students to start off on the right foot. That,they say, means learning not to associate alcohol with campus life.
At Duke, there is no alcohol allowed in freshman dorms. The school alsorequires that all parties be registered with the university and that university bartenders, who will check students for identification, beused. But leaders say they want to go beyond merely changing the rules.Their goal is to change campus culture.
That, they say, will involve education, awareness and attitude ifthe college social scene is to change.
Duke student Nana Han says she doesn't drink and doesn't like it whenothers do.
Duke Chapel Dean Will Willimon says kegs on the Duke campus are a thingof the past.
Duke offers educational programs on alcohol, most to incoming freshmen,but also offers alternative activities for those students who choose notto drink.
Studies show that alcohol plays a role in more than one fourth of allcollege dropouts and that 90% of all campus rapes involve alcohol.At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, surveys show 37% ofstudents binge drink.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
