Alcohol violations persist on campus

During the 2007-2008 school year, nine Point Park University students were deemed so drunk they needed medical assistance. This year, Drug and Alcohol Education statistics show that number has been reduced to six.

The dangers of drinking are apparent when looking at these numbers of hospital visits due to intoxication. During the fall semester alone, five students had to be taken to the hospital, all freshmen, compared to four students last fall.

So far, only one student this spring has been transported to the hospital because of alcohol abuse.

"Alcohol is a drug and people don't realize that," Joshua Young, coordinator of the alcohol peer educators, said.

Young meets with students who have violated liquor law policies after they have gone through the judicial review process. He tries to get an understanding of the student's motivation for drinking to assess what kind of perception the student has on alcohol.

"There's no 'You've done wrong,'" Young said. "We talk about the reasons why they drink. Some don't know."

Violators are first directed to the Office of Judicial Affairs, directed by Amy Cooper. This meeting involves a discussion of the charges against the student and gives the student a chance to explain their story. Judicial Affairs then determines the punishment but tries to maintain a focus on student safety and health.

"We want to save them from heartache in the end," Cooper, who has experienced many alcohol-related accidents, said. "No one sets out, 'I'm gonna die tonight,' or 'I'll have to talk to my friend's family'" about a tragedy.

Bryce Pfeuffer, 20, thinks freshmen tend to pick up the most violations out of an ignorance of the college lifestyle.

"Just being away from home, not having to check in with parents," said the sophomore education major. "There's no rules, just on your own."

For the past two school years, the lobbies of Academic and Lawrence halls have been the areas where the most alcohol violations occurred. While this is not indicative of the number of people reported, it shows a common trend.

According to the University crime log, for the 2008-2009 school year there were seven violation incidences in the Academic Hall lobby, and six occurred in the lobby of Lawrence Hall. The previous year, 13 violations were reported from Academic Hall, and zero was in Lawrence.

Also, the majority of alcohol violations occur in the fall semesters, specifically the month of September. Last school year, there were 11 violation incidents in September. This year, there were seven for both September and October.

Perhaps because the first year of college gives students a newfound freedom, coupled with the fact freshmen tend to not have a good understanding of the dangers of drinking alcohol, are the reasons why freshmen pick up so many violations.

Pfeuffer thought many of the students returning to the dorms at night were intoxicated, but he did not think the lobby security guards were strict about reporting students for violations.

"[They] tend to be more strict at the beginning of the year," he said. "Kids coming to college and thinking they can drink do whatever they want."

Freshman Kayla McGee did not think the security guards were an effective deterrence for student drinking, which she has noticed repeatedly in Lawrence Hall.

"I've seen people falling over-can't believe they weren't stopped," said the 18-year-old psychology major.

However, McGee does not believe the problem is unique to Point Park.

"You'll find that wherever you go," McGee said.

Young agreed Point Park students have a similar attitude towards alcohol as large schools, such as Penn State University or West Virginia University, causing drinking problems to becoming more frequent and typical.

"Point Park is getting bigger, and with that becoming a more like a traditional school," Young said about the growing campus and number of students.

Young was brought to Point Park in August 2007 to curb student drinking. He started the Peer Educators Group in the hopes that students would be more willing to listen to fellow students. Currently, there are 10 peer educators that volunteer their time to promote alcohol awareness and safety.

There were a total of 45 liquor law violation incidents last year, compared to 34 this year. In the 2007-2008 school year, Point Park reported 125 students for liquor law violations under the Clery Crime Act, the highest amount for Point Park. Such statistics are not available for this year, as the numbers are not reported until October.

The Clery Crime Act, first passed in 1990, requires all colleges and universities that participate in Title IV financial aid programs to disclose certain campus crime statistics, including drug and alcohol violations. The act is intended to inform current and prospective students of the potential dangers involved with campus life.

According to Point Park's student handbook, the university "prohibits the unlawful manufacture, dispensation, possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance (illicit drugs and alcohol) of any kind and of any amount." That means an underage student in possession of alcohol, or a student intoxicated on campus at any age, is violating the university's codes of conduct.

Young does not promote the perception that alcohol is evil or something individuals should avoid all together. However, as Young said, the hardest part of his job is changing the passive drinking mentality.

"I wish the perception of alcohol at the college level, and society, would change; that alcohol isn't a cure-all," he said.