The Middlebury Campus

Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Focus

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College has been represented in films, television shows and a certain Tom Wolfe book as a place of ridiculous revelry where you will not be held accountable for your actions. Our society tells us that drinking is fine as long as you do it before you enter the "real world" of responsibility. So we come to college believing that drinking is a part of campus life and that everyone does it. In fact, if we learn anything from college movies like "Old School," we have to drink or risk becoming the dreaded "loser." Is Middlebury different from most big party schools or does the drink-'til-you-drop culture persist even in our small Vermont hamlet? The Middlebury Campus surveyed more than 125 students over the weekend to get a better grasp of how students use drugs and alcohol while at college.

Drinking at Middlebury is a two- sided coin. A stereotype exists that most first-years and sophomores spend their weekends playing "quarters" until they cannot feel their faces and keep a look out for Public Safety. The same stereotype says that seniors spend their days at off-campus parties or hemorrhaging money at a bar in town. Are these stereotypes true? Does Middlebury have a drinking and drug problem?

"Nobody knows if drinking is a problem or not at Middlebury because there has never been a comprehensive scientific survey," said Jyoti Daniere, the director of Health and Wellness Education at the College. Although the exact scope of the College's drinking problem is not known, Daniere still tackles the problem with a nationwide focus and operating under the same norms.

"My job is really about harm reduction," said Daniere. "If students are going to drink, they need to drink safely."

One of the key aspects of drinking safely may surprise you. "You never let someone who is really drunk 'sleep it off,'" Daniere said. "If someone drinks too much alcohol and passes out, the alcohol level may be still rising to the point where your brain will shut down and you can die - and they may have been too incapacitated to tell you."

Daniere explained that finding help is a simple trip to the Health Center.

"If your friend is vomiting or not responding, you need to bring them to the Health Center," said Daniere. "I'm pretty sure the official policy is that you will not be in trouble if you come into our care."

Continued...

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