Money Well Spent? Part One of Two

The Trustee Initiative on Alcohol Abuse had two goals — to provide alternative social activities for students and to curb excessive drinking at the University.

And three quarters of the way through the academic year, after the University has spent about three quarters of the $100,000 in allotted funds, opinions remain mixed on whether the initiative has succeeded in accomplishing its first objective — providing social alternatives to drinking.

The most high-profile of these alternate events was Jon Stewart's recent performance in Dillon Gym, which administrators deemed a success.

"If you look at the turnout for that event, it certainly shows that there is a willingness for students to diversify their social patterns," Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne said.

USG treasurer Joe Wheatley '01, who serves on the Trustee Initiative Funding Committee, agreed. "I think Jon Stewart was a great example of it," he said. "They really needed the critical mass of funding that the initiative could provide."

But other students were more skeptical about whether the initiative truly has made inroads in Princeton's social culture.

"One-night events aren't going to change the whole social atmosphere," Butler College RA Jon Kent-Uritam '00 said. "It's a good activity, but I don't know if it really provides a scene. It doesn't by itself create a new social atmosphere or environment for someone who doesn't like the scene."

Though Stewart's appearance was the largest trustee-sponsored event, it is in smaller events — such as arts performances and residential college parties — that some student advisers see real progress.

MAA Dina Nayeri '01 — who organized a swing and salsa party in December at Forbes College — said she believes initiative-sponsored events have managed to deter some students from activities that revolve around alcohol.

"Every time we had any miscellaneous expenses, the alcohol initiative took care of it," Nayeri said, adding that she received about $4,000 for the event — enough to pay for food, a DJ and dance instructors.

Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan said events similar to Nayeri's might not have been possible — or successful — without the initiative.

"Students, particularly student groups, have been reluctant to take the risk to spend precious funding on activities that are going to compete with heavy drinking because they fear no one will come," she said. "If you'll take the risk of coming up with ideas, the fund will take the risk financially."

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The sole limitation of the initiative, Nayeri argued, is that it only sponsors events held Thursday and Saturday nights. "I would change that because people definitely drink on other nights than Thursday and Saturday," she said.

Deignan, however, said the administration chose to target Thursdays and Saturdays because many student groups already sponsor activities on Friday nights.

'Counterproductive'

But some RAs worry that the committee's decision to fund only Thursday and Saturday events may be crippling residential college-sponsored programs. "I think the position of most of the RAs is it's sort of been counterproductive," Wilson College RA Sean Taylor '00 said. "What ends up happening is people just don't go to our events and decide to go out to the 'Street.' "

"Most of us wish we could try to work more with the system we have," he added, "rather than try to work against the social options that exist."

But Wheatley said the purpose of the initiative is not to attack the eating clubs. In fact, he said, the committee is actively pursuing support from the 'Street' — with one eating club having submitted a proposal to hold a trustee-sponsored event so far.

"We're collaborating with eating clubs to offer non-alcoholic events," Wheatley said. "We're not competing with the 'Street' but we're sort of supplementing the 'Street' with alternatives, which is why we're trying to cooperate with eating clubs. We think the 'Street' is a medium a lot of people are familiar with, so we want to collaborate with them to put together good events."

Dunne said the committee is looking forward to new possibilities for alcohol-free events with the opening of the Frist Campus Center next year.

Several RAs agreed that the campus center could play an important role in helping to create an alternative social scene. "That could have a big impact if that is a place where people actually hang out," Kent-Uritam said.

Taylor echoed Kent-Uritam's view. "I think maybe with the new campus center, when more people use that as a dining option and maybe less people will join clubs, I could see that having some sort of effect on the 'Street' life," he said.

Bishop Frederick Borsch '57 — chair of the Trustee Committee on Student Life, Health and Athletics — said he expects the initiative to distribute the same amount of funding or possibly even more for next year. "I don't think that's out of the question," he said. "If something is a successful way of approaching it and the students want to do more of it, I think we ought to look for more funding for it."

While Borsch said he believes the initiative has paid dividends this year, he feels the issue of alcohol abuse on campus is a long-term concern. "It's something that's going to have to be continuing over the years," he said of the University's efforts.

Tomorrow: A look at whether the second goal of the alcohol initiative — reducing binge drinking — has been achieved.