2008 Woodie Awards
University plans community summit to address issue of binge drinking
After university, invite-only summit Dec. 17, alcohol talks expand to include community
by Dannielle Higginbotham
Issue date: 1/15/08
Section: Campus News
After the recent alcohol related death of at least one Minnesota State student, MSU and MnSCU decided some kind of action must be taken to combat the issue of binge drinking.
Which actions to take - along with the reason behind student binge drinking - were hot topics at the alcohol summit held Dec. 17.
"We were able to sit down and discuss our goals and how we felt about how strong awareness was on campus, and also what our concerns were about binge drinking," said Patricia Swatfager-Haney, vice president of Student Affairs.
The summit - which about 100 people attended - featured discussions on both the national context of binge drinking - including statistics regarding drinking usage rates that named the Midwest the most at-risk - and a campus-wide context, featuring a student panel consisting of representatives from Greek Life (Molly Olson), sports (Allison Kunath), International Students (Doha Seif) and the general student population (Andrew Miller). The student panel provided the administration with explanations on students' views and perceptions on binge drinking.
Chris Frederick, who acted as emcee for the summit, said he thinks the panel and the summit had an overall positive effect.
"I think the discussions held at the summit send a very strong message to the administration, who weren't very clear on students' positions and views on binge drinking," he said. "It allowed the administration to see the students' opinions on the matter and see how different they are from their own."
The summit consisted mostly of small group discussions, leaving no time for disagreement and more time for trying to get to the bottom of the binge drinking issue. One possible solution came in the form of practical education, integrating information into course curriculum and giving tips on what to do in certain situations where binge drinking may be involved.
While the meeting focused mainly on alcohol-related issues on campus, a second meeting tentatively scheduled for early February will focus on alcohol issues in the community.
"We're hoping to have the next summit in the Alltel Center, and we're hoping it will be big," said Swatfager-Haney. "We'll be inviting different members of the community to come and voice their opinions and concerns. This will act as a coordinated effort to gain the community's responses on binge drinking and to see if any solutions are to be had, or what future efforts we should make. We're trying to band the community together to achieve one common goal."
Issues about alcohol abuse are being increasingly discussed in Minnesota, including the recent controversy of whether or not parents should be notified if students violate a campus alcohol rule. While this is currently not allowed in Minnesota, it is a federal law that would change policies in universities across the state if passed.
Dannielle Higginbotham is a Reporter staff writer
Which actions to take - along with the reason behind student binge drinking - were hot topics at the alcohol summit held Dec. 17.
"We were able to sit down and discuss our goals and how we felt about how strong awareness was on campus, and also what our concerns were about binge drinking," said Patricia Swatfager-Haney, vice president of Student Affairs.
The summit - which about 100 people attended - featured discussions on both the national context of binge drinking - including statistics regarding drinking usage rates that named the Midwest the most at-risk - and a campus-wide context, featuring a student panel consisting of representatives from Greek Life (Molly Olson), sports (Allison Kunath), International Students (Doha Seif) and the general student population (Andrew Miller). The student panel provided the administration with explanations on students' views and perceptions on binge drinking.
Chris Frederick, who acted as emcee for the summit, said he thinks the panel and the summit had an overall positive effect.
"I think the discussions held at the summit send a very strong message to the administration, who weren't very clear on students' positions and views on binge drinking," he said. "It allowed the administration to see the students' opinions on the matter and see how different they are from their own."
The summit consisted mostly of small group discussions, leaving no time for disagreement and more time for trying to get to the bottom of the binge drinking issue. One possible solution came in the form of practical education, integrating information into course curriculum and giving tips on what to do in certain situations where binge drinking may be involved.
While the meeting focused mainly on alcohol-related issues on campus, a second meeting tentatively scheduled for early February will focus on alcohol issues in the community.
"We're hoping to have the next summit in the Alltel Center, and we're hoping it will be big," said Swatfager-Haney. "We'll be inviting different members of the community to come and voice their opinions and concerns. This will act as a coordinated effort to gain the community's responses on binge drinking and to see if any solutions are to be had, or what future efforts we should make. We're trying to band the community together to achieve one common goal."
Issues about alcohol abuse are being increasingly discussed in Minnesota, including the recent controversy of whether or not parents should be notified if students violate a campus alcohol rule. While this is currently not allowed in Minnesota, it is a federal law that would change policies in universities across the state if passed.
Dannielle Higginbotham is a Reporter staff writer
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