Tufts has decided to take another stab at changing the drinking culture on campus by incorporating an additional program into freshman orientation. Proposals for the new orientation program include both a student presentation of personal drinking stories and a presentation by Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS). The event would be modeled after In the SACK (Safety, Awareness, Consent and Knowledge in relationships), the sexual awareness presentation held during orientation week.
While the attempt to reduce binge drinking on campus through programming for first−year students during orientation is laudable, a formal lecture is not the most effective way to implement it. If the first alcohol education effort that freshmen encounter is such a serious presentation, it will not stand out from the lectures that crowd orientation week. To truly implement a change in the way incoming freshmen view alcohol consumption, the university should figure out a completely new system of education and programming, rather than relying on and attempting to duplicate standard orientation norms like In the SACK. An informal program that is completely put on by upperclassmen discussing drinking issues in a more casual manner, could be a more effective way to influence the drinking habits of first years.
When educating students, presenters should focus on providing information about the university's alcohol policies — which can be confusing for those new to Tufts — instead of simply discussing facts about alcohol safety. One of the main concerns students had with Tufts' new alcohol policy (by which students are put on Probation Level 1 without a warning after their first documented underage drinking incident) was that students would be less likely to call TEMS for an intoxicated friend, knowing that they would be disciplined after one infraction. It is often presumed that freshmen already have experience with drinking, but many may not even know what signs indicate that a friend has had too much to drink.
Information about Tufts' alcohol policies could be reassuring for students who want to help their peers who choose to drink but do not know the consequences in terms of calling TEMS or protecting their friends' academic records. If this information is presented in an accessible way, rather than as a lecture attempting to dissuade people from drinking — which is unlikely to work — it could help new students make better choices about drinking or about alerting TEMS if their drinking does get out of hand.
The other main component of the new alcohol program for freshmen should be a greater effort by the university to create alternatives to parties during orientation week. In the days following new students' arrival at Tufts, there are few activities that go late into the evening, and barely any on Friday or Saturday night of orientation week. It is a shame that, come Saturday night, it is virtually forgotten that Tufts is a university full of diverse and talented students. As a freshman during orientation week, it can often feel as if the only opportunity for going out with peers at night is to attend parties.
There is an inherent Catch−22 with this program in that new students will follow the norms set up by upperclassmen, but upperclassmen are much less likely to change their drinking behaviors now that they have been established. It is imperative that the Tufts Community Union Senate and university administrators recognize that an orientation alcohol program can only act as a preliminary or supplementary measure to a more thorough endeavor to change drinking habits, working both from the top down and from the bottom up.
