Letters to the Editor | Concerns with Alcohol policy

I am writing with concern about recent developments in Vassar’s alcohol and drug policy. The administration’s priorities appear to be shifting from traditionally lax policy enforcement to a hard-line stance on punishing drinking violations. I feel that this increased focus on busting students for alcohol reflects a deteriorating relationship between the administration and the student body, a lack of mutual respect, and a death knell to the unforced liberal atmosphere that distinguishes Vassar College from a plethora of liberal arts institutions.

I understand that this is a difficult position to take. The possession and consumption of alcohol by underage students is unequivocally against the law, and with good reason. Alcohol is a much-abused drug, and drinking can ruin lives. I am not arguing against these points. I believe that alcohol is a problem on many college campuses, including our own, but I do not think that stricter enforcement of the law is the best solution.

Freshman year, the tendency of security to break up parties without busting the hosts made me feel comfortable to keep wine in my room so I never had to drink at large parties or other uncomfortable situations. Recently, Vassar’s alcohol tolerance has plummeted from the ‘lenient’ range to very near zero. Of course a raging Thursday night dorm party should be disbanded, but was disciplinary action really necessary for a friend of mine “caught” completely sober carrying one unopened beer bottle? College students drink. It happens. Vassar’s former policy encouraged responsible, quiet, decentralized drinking. While it isn’t ideal to condone drinking of any variety, prohibition does not necessarily discourage alcohol consumption. I am concerned that this sudden interest in reprimanding students is addressed to the word of the law and Vassar’s image instead of the health of the student body.

Cracking down on drinking simply forces alcohol use to the margins. People will chug beer in the first five minutes of parties rather than be caught drinking at a healthy pace. Drinking activities will move off-campus where they cannot be monitored by Security or EMS, and commuting to off-campus parties increases the likelihood of drunk driving. Repressing visible evidence of alcohol use fosters a culture of mistrust between students and administration, making it difficult for Vassar to address or influence student drinking problems in any positive way.

I am not suggesting that Security stop enforcing Vassar alcohol policy, but I would like to see a higher priority placed on programs that encourage safe drinking practices. Services like the Vassar shuttle, which renders driving on campus unnecessary, and party-hosting classes, which allow of-age students to host sanctioned parties after learning basic alcohol safety, are examples of legal, proactive ways to address problems introduced by student alcohol use. These methods might not solve all our problems with alcohol, but they do help. Furthermore, they are evidence that the Vassar administration just might be as concerned about students’ health and well-being as they are about the Vassar College write-up in the Princeton Review.

—Anna Henningsgaard ’07