Minor alterations necessary for Rice alcohol policy

11/8/12 6:00pm

 

In light of the 10 alcohol-related Night of Decadence transports, the Thresher believes important changes need to occur to build a smarter, healthier and happier alcohol culture. 

Primarily, students need to take personal responsibility for their drinking habits and the physical consequences associated with unreasonable drinking. At this point, the alcohol policy is as lenient as it will ever be; the administration's options in changing it are either making the penalties harsher or enforcement stricter. However, the real change needs to come from the student body, in knowing personal limitations and making smart choices. The administration and the student body need to focus on making policies that limit students drinking alone, drinking quickly and drinking hard liquor. Rice's drinking traditions are social, and they are based on wine and beer - the event is called Beer Bike, not Vodka Bike - and students need to steer drinking habits back in that direction. 

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Despite recent events, however, Rice needs to step back and consider the benefits of its alcohol policy. It keeps students on campus, and it discourages drinking and driving - which is definitively a much bigger risk than alcohol poisoning. In comparison with peer institutions, Rice is doing well; while Emergency Medical Services transports look bad, the residential college system does not have the negative cultural impact that frat culture has. Rice students have an outlet to let off steam responsibly, and students need to use the outlet in a healthy way. 

In terms of altering policy, change must come from the bottom up. In addition to the increased discussions about alcohol responsibility during Orientation Week, the university should instate caregiver training for all incoming freshmen. Training takes place in a single one-hour session and makes students even more aware of alcohol's effects so they can be prepared to help friends who need it. This would also ensure students are aware of and active in the culture of care from the beginning and that they would be ready to respond to their friends before drinking got out of control. 

Another small change might be having low-key college sponsored events that include alcohol for those of age. Serving alcohol at events like associates' night or cultural events encourages mature drinking habits for students who are legally able to, and it allows younger students to witness responsible consumption. Seniors have fancier events like Senior Toast and alcohol-tasting study breaks but these are generally exclusive. It is important to teach students who may not have had experience with alcohol that there is a calm, sophisticated way to drink without going overboard. 

In addition to these college-level changes, the administration should consider increasing the costs and penalties of a second public intoxication infraction. While first violations should offer a learning experience, students need to understand that these actions are legal offenses and need to be respected. 

One of the biggest issues that leads to Rice's problems with drinking abuse is that minors have ample access to hard alcohol. Last year, the probation still allowed students over 21 to possess and drink liquor, but it increased the penalties for supplying it to younger students to drink on their own. A similar system instituted on campus would increase the amount of beer and wine on campus and lessen the amount of hard liquor that underage students drink. A majority of the incidents of alcohol abuse occur among underage students (including the nine of 10 students hospitalized after NOD for alcohol poisoning), and an emphasis on drinking only beer and wine would allow students under 21 to ease into the alcohol culture and encourage sensible drinking. 

Penalties should be increased for students caught purchasing liquor for underage students, and there needs to be an appropriate response to this serious offense. Upperclassmen also need to use hard liquor responsibly and set an example when they do drink with younger students. The one comprehensive solution to drinking problems at Rice would be upperclassmen who feel a duty to help underclassmen have fun, but in a responsible manner. 

Currently, the drinking culture relies heavily on shots and hard liquor, but lessening the amount of hard liquor in the hands of underage students would bring back Rice's tradition of moderate drinking in laid-back social environments. Nonetheless, as we spend the next several months reevaluating our drinking culture at Rice, we need to be sure recent events do not obscure the fact that we have a fundamentally sound party environment at Rice. It is one that is inclusive, provides for the safety of our students and contributes to student life at Rice. Certainly, we should readjust and continuously improve the system to make it progressively better, but drastic action is simply not necessary. 

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece's author. 

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