Before classes began on many school campuses, colleges and universities from around the country met to discuss and debate the issue of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 years old.
The debate was reinstated after talks amongst liberal arts colleges and their colleagues to form a formal discussion group to rethink policies in regards to the drinking age among college students, which is called the Amethyst Initiative. Over one hundred presidents and chancellors have signed the "Presidential Statement" which "represents a public statement of the belief that we need to have a serious, sustained, unfettered debate about how closely public policy-specifically the drinking age-and the reality of life in a campus community are aligned," as stated on the Amethyst Initiative website. Those officials who sign the statement also commit to leading discussions in their communities/campuses, ensure clarity on all sides of the debate, and that policy and reality are in alignment.
The current count of signatures on the Presidential Statement is 129. Of those signatories, there are several from the state of Illinois including Interim President Frank G. Pogue of Chicago State University, President Stephen D. Schutt of Lake Forest College, and President Robert A. Gervasi of Quincy University. University of Illinois and its campuses were not found on the list; U of I President B. Joseph White was not available for comment.
What does the Amethyst Initiative mean? It does not mean that college students can drink under 21; instead, it means that some colleges and universities want to bring up the issue with state policy makers to lower the drinking age or keep it at 21, with student health at the focus. Each state has the right to lower the drinking age, but most have not, perhaps in agreement with the federal highway law that will deny money to state's transportation for supporting the new drinking age limit. Not everyone is in support of a lower drinking age out of concern for student health, and there are various groups on campus to bring attention to the dangers of alcohol consumption.
The Wellness Center on campus has a program geared to bring alcohol awareness to students who are both legal and underage. Wellness Advocates Volunteering to Educate Students, or WAVES, is a student service that provides free workshops to student organizations on campus on alcohol awareness as well as on other health issues. The alcohol workshop is called "This Round is on Us" and includes information and fun activities for students. Fasika Alem, Assistant Director at the Wellness Center says that the center will be providing programs during National Alcohol Awareness Week, which takes place October 20-24th; some of the activities in the past have included a sign-up pledge to not drink and drive. WAVES is currently recruiting student volunteers; for more information, visit the Wellness Center located within the Inner Circle at SCE.
In an upcoming issue of the Chicago Flame, we ask students and school administrators about the Amethyst Initiative and what a lower drinking age would mean for students' health and bars' business. For more information on the Amethyst Initiative, visit Amethystiitiative.org.
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