GUEST COLUMNIST: Binge drinking and violence must stop

Judith Rodin, Guest Columnist Judith Rodin, Guest Columnist A wave of alcohol abuse seems to be washing over college and university campuses this fall. Already, only a month into the semester, there have been deadly consequences in Louisiana, Massachusetts and, I suspect, victims in other parts of the country as well. More than one Penn student suffering from acute alcohol poisoning -- the result of an evening of astonishingly excessive drinking -- has been carried by classmates or transported by emergency vehicle to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. They were fortunate; all survived, but any of these cases could have been tragic. Several Penn students have been assaulted by other Penn students who were so intoxicated they apparently didn't know (I hope) what they were doing. In one case, a Penn upperclassman took several swings at a University Police officer after assaulting a fellow student and knocking him unconscious. I am deeply concerned. When I first learned of these incidents, I thought, "How can our students do this to themselves and to each other?" I am enormously grateful that none of our students has sustained a life-threatening injury or died as a result of alcohol abuse. But they came close enough. I will tell you that in at least one case this fall, Penn was within a breath of being the third American university to lose a student to alcohol-related death in less than a month. So, against the drama of this background, I must speak to all Penn students. I am not a temperance crusader. As an undergraduate at Penn, I had a great time. I hope the same is true for you. My goal is not to ruin your parties or your fun. But I fear this fall that your fun is on a collision course with tragedy. Let me be clear: This is about much, much more than underage drinking. This is about binge drinking and alcohol-related violence. They are deadly phenomena, and they must stop. Last week, I met with representatives of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, the Division of Public Safety, and the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life to consider ways to keep these problems from turning into tragedies for our students. As a result of these meetings, you will soon hear about some new strategies to combat excessive drinking on campus, including new forms of alcohol-related training for faculty masters, RAs, and GFs. Also last week, representatives of OFSA and Public Safety met with the presidents of the InterFraternity Council. They are forming a partnership to address binge drinking and prevent alcohol-related assault. And, I had dinner with members of the Undergraduate Assembly who promised to help develop ways to combat these disturbing and potentially deadly problems. They are now working with other student leaders and the VPUL. Yesterday, we held a special session of University Council, with most of the meeting devoted to a discussion of alcohol-related issues and how the University community can work together to resolve them. But, we need your help, too. Each of you may know better than any of us in the administration what will work and what won't. I urge you to submit your thoughts and suggestions to www.upenn.edu/osl/. When you were concerned about public safety last year, you turned to me, saying, "Do something." Now, with tremendous concern, I am turning to you and saying the same thing: Please do something.