"This is a law that is routinely evaded," said John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont who started the organization. "It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe is unjust and unfair and discriminatory."
Mothers Against Drunk Driving says lowering the drinking age would lead to more fatal car crashes. It accuses the presidents of misrepresenting science and looking for an easy way out of an inconvenient problem. MADD officials are even urging parents to think carefully about the safety of colleges whose presidents have signed on.
"It's very clear the 21-year-old drinking age will not be enforced at those campuses," said Laura Dean-Mooney, national president of MADD.
Both sides agree alcohol abuse by college students is a huge problem.
Research has found more than 40 percent of college students reported at least one symptom of alcohol abuse or dependence. One study has estimated more than 500,000 full-time students at four-year colleges suffer injuries each year related in some way to drinking, and about 1,700 die in such accidents.
Amethyst Initiative College & University Presidents
President Vincent Maniaci, American International College
President Jerry M. Greiner, Arcadia University
President Ronald Slepitza, Avila University
President Elizabeth Coleman, Bennington College
President Scott D. Miller, Bethany College
President Bobby Fong, Butler University
President David Wolk, Castleton State College
President Mark J. Tierno, Cazenovia College
President Carmen Twillie Ambar, Cedar Crest College
President Esther L. Barazzone, Chatham University
President John Bassett, Clark University
President Anthony G. Collins, Clarkson University
President James R. Phifer, Coe College
President Rebecca S. Chopp, Colgate University
President Robert Hoover, College of Idaho
President Mary Pat Seurkamp, College of Notre Dame of Maryland
President Frank Miglorie, College of St. Joseph
President Richard Celeste, Colorado College
President Dennison W. Griffith, Columbus College of Art & Design
President James E. Wright, Dartmouth College
President G. T. Smith, Davis & Elkins College
President William G. Durden, Dickinson College
President Robert Weisbuch, Drew University
President Richard Brodhead, Duke University
President Joseph R. Fink, Dominican University of California
President Donald R. Eastman III, Eckerd College
President Theodore Long, Elizabethtown College
President Thomas Meier, Elmira College
President Richard E. Wylie, Endicott College
President Jeffrey von Arx, Fairfield University
President Janet Morgan Riggs, Gettysburg College
President Sanford J. Ungar, Goucher College
President Jack Ohle, Gustavus Adolphus College
President Joan Hinde Stewart, Hamilton College
President Walter M. Bortz, Hampden-Sydney College
President Ralph J. Hexter, Hampshire College
President Susan DeWine, Hanover College
President Nancy O. Gray, Hollins University
President Richard B. Gilman, CSC, Holy Cross College (IN)
President Barbara Murphy, Johnson State College
President John J. Bowen, Johnson & Wales University
President William Brody, Johns Hopkins University
President Leon Richards, Kapiolani Community College
President S. Georgia Nugent, Kenyon College
President Daniel H. Weiss, Lafayette College
President Stephen D. Schutt, Lake Forest College
President Thomas J. Hochstettler, Lewis & Clark College
Carol A. Moore, Lyndon State College
President Leonard Tyler, Maine Maritime Academy
President Thomas J. Scanlan, F.S.C., Manhattan College
President Richard Berman, Manhattanville College
President Tim Foster, Mesa State College
President Ronald Liebowitz, Middlebury College
President Frances Lucas, Millsaps College
President Mary Ellen Jukoski, Mitchell College
President Christopher Thomforde, Moravian College
President Robert Michael Franklin Jr., Morehouse College
President Joanne V. Creighton, Mount Holyoke College
President Peyton R. Helm, Muhlenberg College
President Randy Dunn, Murray State University
President Thomas B. Coburn, Naropa University
President Fran Voigt, New England Culinary Institute
President Debra Townsley, Nichols College
President Robert A. Skotheim, Occidental College
President Lawrence Schall, Oglethorpe University
President E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State University
President Phil Creighton, Pacific University
President Loren J. Anderson, Pacific Lutheran University
President John Mills, Paul Smith’s College
President David W. Oxtoby, Pomona College
President Robert A. Gervasi, Quincy University
President Robert R. Lindgren, Randolph-Macon College
President William E. Troutt, Rhodes College
President David C. Joyce, Ripon College
President Gregory G. Dell'Omo, Robert Morris University
President Charles R. Middleton, Roosevelt University
President Pamela Trotman Reid, Saint Joseph College (CT)
President Timothy R. Lannon, Saint Joseph’s University (PA)
President Arthur F. Kirk, Saint Leo University
President Patricia Maguire Meservey, Salem State College
President JoAnne Boyle, Seton Hill University
Vice Chancellor Joel L. Cunningham, Sewanee: University of the South
President Carol T. Christ, Smith College
President Paul LeBlanc, Southern New Hampshire University
President Beverly Daniel Tatum, Spelman College
President Robert E. Ritschel, Spoon River College
President Daniel F. Sullivan, St. Lawrence University
President Harold J. Raveche, Stevens Institute of Technology
President Elisabeth S. Muhlenfeld, Sweet Briar College
Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Syracuse University
President J. Patrick O’Brien, Texas A & M University-West Texas
President Robert Caret, Towson University
President James F. Jones, Jr., Trinity College
President John M. Stamm, Trinity Lutheran College
President Lawrence S. Bacow, Tufts University
President Walter Harrison, University of Hartford
President Louis Agnese Jr., University of the Incarnate Word
President Jennifer Hunter-Cevera, University of Maryland--Biotechnology Institute
President C.D. Mote Jr., University of Maryland--College Park
President Jack M. Wilson, University of Massachusetts System
Chancellor William E. Kirwan, University System of Maryland
President Steven H. Kaplan, University of New Haven
President Geoffrey Shields, Vermont Law School
Chancellor Robert Clarke, Vermont State Colleges
President Ty Handy, Vermont Technical College
President Tori Haring-Smith, Washington and Jefferson College
President Kenneth P. Ruscio, Washington and Lee University
President L. Baird Tipson, Washington College
President Michael Bassis, Westminster College (UT)
President Sharon D. Herzberger, Whittier College
President James T. Harris, Widener University
President M. Lee Pelton, Willamette University
President Lorna Duphiney Edmundson, Wilson College
President Vincent Maniaci, American International College
President Jerry M. Greiner, Arcadia University
President Ronald Slepitza, Avila University
President Elizabeth Coleman, Bennington College
President Scott D. Miller, Bethany College
President Bobby Fong, Butler University
President David Wolk, Castleton State College
President Mark J. Tierno, Cazenovia College
President Carmen Twillie Ambar, Cedar Crest College
President Esther L. Barazzone, Chatham University
President John Bassett, Clark University
President Anthony G. Collins, Clarkson University
President James R. Phifer, Coe College
President Rebecca S. Chopp, Colgate University
President Robert Hoover, College of Idaho
President Mary Pat Seurkamp, College of Notre Dame of Maryland
President Frank Miglorie, College of St. Joseph
President Richard Celeste, Colorado College
President Dennison W. Griffith, Columbus College of Art & Design
President James E. Wright, Dartmouth College
President G. T. Smith, Davis & Elkins College
President William G. Durden, Dickinson College
President Robert Weisbuch, Drew University
President Richard Brodhead, Duke University
President Joseph R. Fink, Dominican University of California
President Donald R. Eastman III, Eckerd College
President Theodore Long, Elizabethtown College
President Thomas Meier, Elmira College
President Richard E. Wylie, Endicott College
President Jeffrey von Arx, Fairfield University
President Janet Morgan Riggs, Gettysburg College
President Sanford J. Ungar, Goucher College
President Jack Ohle, Gustavus Adolphus College
President Joan Hinde Stewart, Hamilton College
President Walter M. Bortz, Hampden-Sydney College
President Ralph J. Hexter, Hampshire College
President Susan DeWine, Hanover College
President Nancy O. Gray, Hollins University
President Richard B. Gilman, CSC, Holy Cross College (IN)
President Barbara Murphy, Johnson State College
President John J. Bowen, Johnson & Wales University
President William Brody, Johns Hopkins University
President Leon Richards, Kapiolani Community College
President S. Georgia Nugent, Kenyon College
President Daniel H. Weiss, Lafayette College
President Stephen D. Schutt, Lake Forest College
President Thomas J. Hochstettler, Lewis & Clark College
Carol A. Moore, Lyndon State College
President Leonard Tyler, Maine Maritime Academy
President Thomas J. Scanlan, F.S.C., Manhattan College
President Richard Berman, Manhattanville College
President Tim Foster, Mesa State College
President Ronald Liebowitz, Middlebury College
President Frances Lucas, Millsaps College
President Mary Ellen Jukoski, Mitchell College
President Christopher Thomforde, Moravian College
President Robert Michael Franklin Jr., Morehouse College
President Joanne V. Creighton, Mount Holyoke College
President Peyton R. Helm, Muhlenberg College
President Randy Dunn, Murray State University
President Thomas B. Coburn, Naropa University
President Fran Voigt, New England Culinary Institute
President Debra Townsley, Nichols College
President Robert A. Skotheim, Occidental College
President Lawrence Schall, Oglethorpe University
President E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State University
President Phil Creighton, Pacific University
President Loren J. Anderson, Pacific Lutheran University
President John Mills, Paul Smith’s College
President David W. Oxtoby, Pomona College
President Robert A. Gervasi, Quincy University
President Robert R. Lindgren, Randolph-Macon College
President William E. Troutt, Rhodes College
President David C. Joyce, Ripon College
President Gregory G. Dell'Omo, Robert Morris University
President Charles R. Middleton, Roosevelt University
President Pamela Trotman Reid, Saint Joseph College (CT)
President Timothy R. Lannon, Saint Joseph’s University (PA)
President Arthur F. Kirk, Saint Leo University
President Patricia Maguire Meservey, Salem State College
President JoAnne Boyle, Seton Hill University
Vice Chancellor Joel L. Cunningham, Sewanee: University of the South
President Carol T. Christ, Smith College
President Paul LeBlanc, Southern New Hampshire University
President Beverly Daniel Tatum, Spelman College
President Robert E. Ritschel, Spoon River College
President Daniel F. Sullivan, St. Lawrence University
President Harold J. Raveche, Stevens Institute of Technology
President Elisabeth S. Muhlenfeld, Sweet Briar College
Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Syracuse University
President J. Patrick O’Brien, Texas A & M University-West Texas
President Robert Caret, Towson University
President James F. Jones, Jr., Trinity College
President John M. Stamm, Trinity Lutheran College
President Lawrence S. Bacow, Tufts University
President Walter Harrison, University of Hartford
President Louis Agnese Jr., University of the Incarnate Word
President Jennifer Hunter-Cevera, University of Maryland--Biotechnology Institute
President C.D. Mote Jr., University of Maryland--College Park
President Jack M. Wilson, University of Massachusetts System
Chancellor William E. Kirwan, University System of Maryland
President Steven H. Kaplan, University of New Haven
President Geoffrey Shields, Vermont Law School
Chancellor Robert Clarke, Vermont State Colleges
President Ty Handy, Vermont Technical College
President Tori Haring-Smith, Washington and Jefferson College
President Kenneth P. Ruscio, Washington and Lee University
President L. Baird Tipson, Washington College
President Michael Bassis, Westminster College (UT)
President Sharon D. Herzberger, Whittier College
President James T. Harris, Widener University
President M. Lee Pelton, Willamette University
President Lorna Duphiney Edmundson, Wilson College
Read the CNN.com article about the Amethyst Initiative to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18 here and here.
plez sez: being a former college student (when the drinking age was 18) and a current alumni advisor of an undergraduate fraternity chapter, i have a unique perspective on the drinking age.
Georgia Tech Band & Budweiser Song
in all honesty, i do not recall binge drinking and drunkedness being a big issue during my undergraduate years... one could purchase and consume alcohol openly. to this day, the georgia tech band still plays the "Budweiser Song" between the third and fourth quarters at the football games; everyone bobs up and down to the song (the georgia tech version of the seventh inning stretch).
back then one could go to the frat houses on campus on friday and saturday night, and get free beer dispensed from one of those big ass beer trucks. people would get drunk back then and then go throw up all over the bathroom... that place was a disaster area on the weekends!
soon after i started college, the state of georgia began to raise the drinking age to 21 years. frat houses could no longer serve alcohol at their events. organizations could no longer advertise drink specials at their parties. but guess what? students still obtain fake id's, and older students still buy beer and alcohol for the underage ones, and students still sneak off and get sh*t-faced drunk... and still ralph all over the dorm bathrooms during the weekend!
as an alumni advisor for my college fraternity chapter, i've had to confront drinking issues with a few of the guys. but there are no fewer members now with a drinking problem, than we had when i was in college over 20 years ago!
personally, i feel that instead of criminalizing the behavior, responsible drinking should be emphasized, as it was back then. college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will drink as long as there are college seniors to buy it for them or as long as they can get fake id's. i agree that the age should be lowered back to 18 and responsible drinking should be emphasized on college campuses.
5 comments:
By raising the age to 21 the government has taken the onus off of personal responsibility and parental responsibility and put it in the hands of law enforcement. We all know that law enforcement is the least effective way to change behavior.
Personally I suscribe to the John Dewey phillosophy of learn by doing. Hoe are you going to learn how to drink responsibly unless you are doing it. Drinbking until you puke is something that needs to happen so you know your limit. When I was 7 my mother gave me a cigaette because I was pretending to smoke. She lit it for me and after a few drags I puked everywhere. It is the only cigarette thats ever touched my lips.
when i was growing up it was 18
they changed it when i started grad school in 1988 - whats the big deal
david & torrance,
i think we're all on the same page... plus there isn't an 18-year old alive who wants to drink alcohol who can't get his/her hands on some!
plus college is a time of enlightenment... nothing like having some brew to grease the skids!
This is nice blog, I gather alot of information form here. Iam new to this blog I want to know more information about this blog.
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frankline
California DUI
More than 100 college and university presidents are calling for lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18. President David L. Boren is not one of them.The Amethyst Initiative, launched in July, encourages presidents and chancellors of higher learning institutions to sign a “Rethink the Drinking Age” statement, which calls for public debate over the effects of the drinking age, according to the Amethyst Initiative Web site.
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jillcatrina
DUI
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