Drinking among college students is always going to happen. The police and administration can place as many rules and heighten security as much as possible, but it will not stop students from drinking. This will only make students try to hide it more and therefore drink more alcohol in a shorter period of time. Why do you think students binge drink? We have to here at IU because we are not allowed to drink out in the open. So, if we want to drink we have to drink as much as we can in as little time as possible.\nStudents choose to drink, it is not forced upon them. The administration is not going to be able to change the fact that students want to drink. I have been in many party situations where I have chosen not to drink and I have never felt pressured. This includes times at fraternities, apartments and houses. Cracking down on the greek system is only going to increase parties at off-campus housing and the campus is going to lose IU students. A lot of reasons why students choose a college is because of the party life and I know a lot of people that chose not to go here because of the changes that IU already made.\nMaking mandatory classes earlier and on Fridays is not going to slow down drinking; people will still drink and go to class with a hangover. Trying to stop students from drinking will never succeed, it will only make students drink more dangerously. The administration should encourage safe drinking and not encourage binge drinking.
Kristine Lantz\nSophomore
Alcohol rules need enforcement, \nnot overhaul
As IU is set to implement a "new and improved" alcohol policy, we must raise the question why the last one failed. As IFC President Ben Schmidt said, 70 percent of the proposals made by the commission are now in place in the greek system. With that said, two deaths and numerous trips to the hospital have resulted from the greek system in my four years here. Are the individual houses accountable? Yes. Who else should be held accountable? Dean of Students Richard McKaig and his staff. Everybody in the greek system knows the rules and consequences of drinking, but they are not enforced in the right ways. As seen, revoking charters and suspending chapters is not the answer. The answer is to follow and enforce the policy that was set in place, which Dean McKaig and his staff have failed to do. \nAlso, individuals -- rather than chapters -- must be held accountable. It is well known that drinking in greek houses takes place now and always will. Why haven't there been deaths in the dorms, when drinking takes place in the dorms very readily too? Because the dorm policy is actually enforced, and enforced on an individual basis. Foster-Harper floor 6 doesn't get thrown off campus because of alcohol violations, but rather individuals are held to their actions. Holding individuals accountable and enforcing set policies is what needs to occur, not a whole new alcohol policy. \nAs of now, Dean McKaig and his staff have failed to show that they can deal with and remedy the alcohol situation on this campus. They pass ALL the blame to the greek houses, rather than taking responsibility for any of it. In reality, two deaths and numerous trips to the hospital have occurred under Dean McKaig and his staff's watch. How many more tragedies will we see and how many more times of passing all the blame will IU President Myles Brand and Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm take from Dean McKaig and his staff before something is done about it?
Brent Diggins\nSenior
