Alcohol Creates 'Two Different Campuses'

Anonymously Contributed

One of the many parties where EMU students may choose to drink on the weekends.

"It's almost like two different campuses," remarked a second year student in response to a random survey this week on campus drinking. The poll showed that 69 percent of those queried consume alcohol, despite signing a Lifestyle Commitment statement that prohibits drinking on campus.

The survey, done by members of the News and Feature Writing class taught by Dick Benner, assistant professor of communication, attempted to determine the social effects of drinking both on and off campus rather than measure only the percentage of usage.

Class members surveyed the sample population in such high traffic areas as those coming out of chapel, the library and dining hall, those congregating in the mailbox area of the Campus Center and those doing projects in the computer labs. A total of 104 students participated in the survey that covered a wide range of campus demographics—those in each year of classification and a range of ages.

The goal of the survey, according to Professor Benner, was to determine if this not-talked about social practice affects social relationships on campus between those who are avowed abstainers and those who are users, whether the divide falls between Mennonite and non-Mennonite students and how violations might be treated differently in different residences.

"Obviously the cultural pressure is bringing changes even to the traditionally 'dry' Mennonite population," Benner told his students in helping to draft and implement the survey, "so it is important to focus on the effects rather than the causes."

Students sampled were first read the Lifestyle statement they signed as full-time students that says "I will respect and abide by the university policy that prohibits the use of alcohol and tobacco on campus or at university functions and the misuse of alcohol off campus."

When asked if one "had the choice" to sign the alcohol/tobacco contract, 57 percent said yes they would still sign the contract, and 43 percent said no. Asked if the policy should apply to students living off campus, 24 percent answered yes, and 76 percent said it shouldn't apply. When asked if they never consumed alcohol, or if it was only occasionally or regularly, only 31 said "never," 52 percent said "occasionally" and 17 percent said "regularly."

Eighty-five percent of students admitted to feeling comfortable with other students consuming alcohol in their presence while 50 percent of those claiming they never consumed alcohol said they were comfortable with other students drinking in their presence. Eighty-four percent who don't drink say their friends do.

On the question of a social divide developed between drinkers and non-drinkers, most of those surveyed played down its significance while admitting there is one. Sixty-four said drinking causes a social divide and 40 said no.

"The social divide doesn't really matter much; you just hang out with kids that have the same interest as yourself," said a first-year student. On the other hand some of those surveyed said it creates a division that inhibits possible relationships to form. "I don't think social groups mingle that much who don't have similar habits, especially in alcohol consumption" said a 22-year old, fourth-year student.

Of the 104 students surveyed, 24 percent of the first-year students, 76 percent 2nd-year, 86 percent 3rd-year and 97 percent of seniors said they drink occasionally or regularly. Seventy-two percent live on-campus and 28 percent live off-campus.

The subject of alcohol consumption on campus is perhaps the "most surveyed issue during my time on campus," said Jeremy Webster, a member of the class. It was reflected on by a former editor of the Weather Vane, Zachary Kurtz, who in an Oct. 14, 2004 editorial asserted: "Not reporting peers who drink to the 'university officials' has become, for many of us, a sort of ethical obligation." He was commenting on an incident that year in which a student on a cross-cultural semester was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning.

Earlier that year, the Weather Vane reported that the "Athletic Department will consider a draft of an alcohol policy that would create a uniform standard preventing alcohol usage among all athletes. Currently, alcohol usage is handled differently among each team and coach in the department, which creates discrepancies when handling the misuse of alcohol." Nothing was apparently finalized on the issue.

Next week, the class reports on how alcohol usage breaks down between Mennonite and non-Mennonite students and their attitudes toward the practice.