2008 Woodie Awards
Alcohol visits to Parton decline
Scott Greene
Issue date: 11/30/06 Section: News
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Alcohol-related visits to Parton Health Center have dropped to the level of two years ago after last year's record highs. Overall, Parton has seen a decrease in the total number of medical cases despite a steady increase in visits to the Counseling and Human Relations Center over the past five years, according to Health Center administrators.
The medical staff at both Parton Health Center and Porter Hospital has treated 56 drunk students so far this term, compared with 72 at the same time last year. Of the 56, only five were not admitted at either of the two locations. A breakdown of these visits by class year reveals that first-years and sophomores account for 70 percent of the total, with 24 and 16 visits respectively.
"First of all, last year we had the highest number of visits to the Health Center that we have ever had," Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson said. "This year's number is more in line with other years." Administrators were cautious, however, not to read too much into the change.
"Those numbers don't indicate or prove anything to us as far as what the drinking behaviors are out on the campus," Associate Director of the Health Center Terry Jenny said. "There's virtually no correlation between the two."
Though any decrease is good, according to Dean of the College Tim Spears, such numbers prove more indicative of student behavior if measured over the course of an entire year.
"That kind of record is not statistically persuasive or significant until we can look at the whole year as a package," Spears said. "If that trend continues and we end up the year down 25 to 30 percent, then that's good news."
Spears added that the recent devolution of the College's social scene away from on-campus partying may also have an effect on the total numbers, because partying off-campus makes it less convenient for a student to go down to the Health Center.
"I'd love to be able to say that those statistics indicate an upsurge in responsible drinking, but I don't want to go that far," he said.
The medical staff at both Parton Health Center and Porter Hospital has treated 56 drunk students so far this term, compared with 72 at the same time last year. Of the 56, only five were not admitted at either of the two locations. A breakdown of these visits by class year reveals that first-years and sophomores account for 70 percent of the total, with 24 and 16 visits respectively.
"First of all, last year we had the highest number of visits to the Health Center that we have ever had," Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson said. "This year's number is more in line with other years." Administrators were cautious, however, not to read too much into the change.
"Those numbers don't indicate or prove anything to us as far as what the drinking behaviors are out on the campus," Associate Director of the Health Center Terry Jenny said. "There's virtually no correlation between the two."
Though any decrease is good, according to Dean of the College Tim Spears, such numbers prove more indicative of student behavior if measured over the course of an entire year.
"That kind of record is not statistically persuasive or significant until we can look at the whole year as a package," Spears said. "If that trend continues and we end up the year down 25 to 30 percent, then that's good news."
Spears added that the recent devolution of the College's social scene away from on-campus partying may also have an effect on the total numbers, because partying off-campus makes it less convenient for a student to go down to the Health Center.
"I'd love to be able to say that those statistics indicate an upsurge in responsible drinking, but I don't want to go that far," he said.
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