The Sandspur

Issue date: 4/1/05 Section: Life & Times

COLLEGE DRINKING: Students celebrate at the prospect of a lowered drinking age at Rollins College in the future.

Drinking.... It's a problem on every college campus. There is binge drinking, drunk driving, vandalism and all sorts of alcohol-related issues. Drinking is also an issue on every college students mind: how to get alcohol, how to get away with drinking, and how to get served.

Rollins and Rollins students are no exception. How many times have you been woken up at night from a drunken neighbor stumbling into the dorms at an insane hour in the morning? How many times have you woken to find something scribbled on the walls in the hallway, or on the mirror in the bathroom? And how many times have you yourself or someone you know complained about being underage and not being able to drink as much or as often as you would like? Too many, and it's all because the legal drinking age is too high.

Recent studies have shown that students who can drink legally drink less and commit fewer misdemeanors than students who have to obtain and drink alcohol illegally. Students under 21 are more likely to binge drink and become extremely intoxicated because they feel their opportunities to drink are limited and they have to make the most of alcohol when they can get it.

Due to these studies, and campus-based surveys, Rollins administration has decided to lower the campus drinking age. As of April 1 any student over the age of 18 is allowed to drink.

New R-cards will be issued to show which students are not under 18. The C-store will sell beer and liquor in limited qualities to students who are above the age limit. The administration thinks that these new measures will prevent or decrease the instances of binge drinking on campus and will be beneficial for all students and faculty. Some parents and faculty have expressed concern about the new law changes, so there will be a period of probation. The school will monitor incidences of intoxication and illegal activity. If the instances decrease, the law will become permanent. If not, then the law will be scrapped and rules will resume as normal.

Rollins has the right to make these rule changes because it is a private institution and has full sovereignty on anything within campus borders. Students will not have immunity outside of the campus and will be prosecuted if they are caught drinking anywhere else.

There is currently a forum of opinions on the website, and a meeting will take place next Thursday at the Darden Lounge to discuss the new law.

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