Students skeptical about effect of Alcohol Initiative on drinking

Though most University students have attended an event sponsored by the Trustee Initiative on Alcohol Abuse, often they aren't aware of it. Students tend to be supportive of the program — more commonly referred to as the Alcohol Initiative — but they remain skeptical of the effect it may have on campus drinking.

While last spring's Maroon 5 concert cosponsored by Quadrangle Club attracted many students, most events sponsored by the Alcohol Initiative take place on a smaller scale.

Neel Gehani '07, a member of the Butler College Council, said the events generally don't draw crowds "unless you can think of something creative." But there are some perennial favorites such as casino nights.

Despite instances of high attendance, some students do not believe alcohol-free events preclude drinking.

"People either go there drunk or go there first and then get drunk," Adrienne Umeh '05 said.

Students said alcohol-free events are a welcome addition to the University social life, but they will not stop people who would regularly drink from doing so.

"No matter how much money you throw at it," Umeh added, "people aren't going to stop doing it if they feel there's nothing wrong with it."

Backers of the initiative are aware that it cannot eradicate alcohol abuse. Associate Dean of Undergraduate Life Thomas Dunne noted this was not the goal of the initiative funds. Rather, they are "about providing a wider range of social events" for students, he said.

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Dunne said undergraduates, as independent adults, are going to make their own decisions, but that the "University [is] in part responsible for setting the table for social options."

The initiative was founded six years ago in response to concerns about alcohol abuse. The funding of alcohol-free social events was only one of several measures taken by the Alcohol Initiative.

The University spends approximately $125,000 annually on 25 to 30 alcohol-free events, the majority of which take place late Thursday and Saturday nights, offering students social alternatives to the Street.

Some students are unaware of the wide range of events the Alcohol Initiative helps fund.

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Dunne said many events, including the Maroon 5 concert, the "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" performance, salsa parties and casino nights, just "wouldn't have happened" without the Alcohol Initiative because the USG's Projects Board does not have have the funding to support the size and range of these activities.

Even the Undergraduate Film Organization was initially cosponsored by the Alcohol Initiative. It has since evolved into a permanent program with other sources of funding and exists today as a popular alternative to the Street.

Many other universities have also set aside specific funds for alcohol-free events. These include the "Late Night Penn State Program," Wesleyan University's "Good Clean Fund" and "Up All Night" at Cornell University.

The Alcohol Initiative, Dunne said, is part of the "long term process of changing social norms on this campus."

Dunne praised the initiative as effective in altering the social atmosphere on campus.

"I can say with full confidence that it really has changed," he said.

The Board of Trustees initially allocated $100,000 for the fund, and later increased the amount by 25 percent.

While some of the money is spent on alcohol abuse awareness ad campaigns and speakers, Dunne said 90 percent of it goes toward funding social alternatives.

However, it remains difficult to assess the impact of the initiative on alcohol abuse.

Henry Wechsler, director of the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Studies Program, said the problem of alcohol abuse must be addressed with several approaches. "Deemphasizing the role of alcohol on campus is an important element of a school's response," Wechsler said. "This includes alcohol-free events, but also a menu of activities which engage students' participation and time commitments — community service and volunteer work, special interest groups, intramural sports, etc."

While not all students consider the initiative to be effective, most believe the board should continue to finance social alternatives to the Street.

Sam Fallon '08 said he doubted the initiative's influence on curbing alcohol abuse, but added, "I respect that they're trying — hopefully they'll keep trying."