Tufts, like every other college campus it seems, has an alcohol problem. And it's embarrassing. And it's starting to limit our student activities. And that's a shame.
This year, my senior year, I watched part of Fall Ball from my porch instead of attending, and saw the steady stream of ambulances shuttling students to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. As it turned out, 12 students were transported. It is quite telling that the ambulances arrive before the students. Tufts has to hire ambulances in anticipation of need. Is that not sad? As in past years, we are lucky that no one died.
Please do not confuse me for a teetotaler. I've no problem with the moderate consumption of alcohol; and frat parties certainly have their place. But there's a line, and it gets crossed far too often. I don't think I've seen anyone smile as they vomit on themselves, lose consciousness in a bathroom stall or get loaded into the back of an ambulance on a stretcher (or maybe even all three).
And yes, it is true that 12 people, in a school of several thousand, is not a large percentage. But unfortunately, the poor choices of the few are beginning to affect the lives of all students. For instance, incoming freshmen will never experience the sights, sounds, and free doughnuts of the "Nighttime Quad Reception" because it has been cancelled indefinitely. And I am worried that this was not an isolated decision, but the beginning of a trend. If we can't get this under control, what other student events will end up on the chopping block? Spring Fling? Fall Ball itself? Is it really worth it?
Obviously, the administration does not want to cancel major student events. Doing so would be extremely unpopular, but if it comes down to popularity or student safety, student safety will always win out. For better or for worse, the administration has only relatively blunt instruments to work with. It would be impossible for the administration to monitor every location where students could be drinking, and any attempt to do so would only drive the drinking further underground (especially because many of the participants are underage). So what options does the university have? They can try to educate students about the dangers of binge drinking, which they are, but other than that, their hands are essentially tied. If they can't control the dangerous drinking itself, all they can do is control the impetus for the drinking: by canceling events.
I recognize that no one starts his or her night intending to end it with an ambulance ride that he or she will never remember — other than the bill to pay later — but we've got to get this under control somehow. And the onus is on us. The perception of alcohol has to change. Instead of supporting binge drinking, or even just ignoring it, try thinking about it differently: This type of inconsiderate behavior is going to cut back on the number of student events that you will be able to enjoy in the future.
We've gotten a lot better at calling Tufts Emergency Medical Services for our friends when they need help — and I thank all those who volunteer their time to answer those calls — but why not intervene one step earlier? Wouldn't it just be easier, a lot less stressful and a lot less messy just to discourage those extra vodka shots in the first place? We are beginning a new year, with a new president who will be looking to finally fix what former University President Lawrence Bacow, despite his efforts, could not. Let's do the right thing and save our student events.
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