Freshmen attribute underage drinking to lenient policy
By MATT BUNDA
News Writer
Many of the students drinking on Notre Dame's campus are underage.
Students, at least many underclassmen, pack into dorm rooms with loud dance and rap music or in a calmer setting with couches and quieter music with people talking; no matter what the scene, drinking alcohol is usually involved.
Cases of inexpensive beer often are shuttled into dorms, supplied by upperclassmen as people begin to arrive and sign in for dorm parties, which constitute many of the underage drinking on campus.
Rooms are emptied out, strobe and black lights are hung near the ceiling, and students prepare for the evenings' festivities. Many students host their own parties, or make the rounds to several parties in different dorms, often drinking a new drink at each party.
Freshman Tony Carney is familiar with the situation.
Carney's room is commonly used as the party room for friends in the dorm. The parties are well-supplied and well-attended, and Tony is a willing and magnanimous host.
But Carney is an exception to the rule: He doesn't drink.
"I don't have to drink to have fun, but if other people want to drink to have fun, that's cool," he said. "I am more interested in people having fun. People are drinking, but they're not being stupid and throwing up and getting sloppy, they're dancing and having a good time."
Freshman Mark Stralka said moderation is key.
"It's there, available, fun, and it loosens you up. It's fine as long as you don't drink too much," he said.
Some first year students have discovered alcohol is readily. But, with ease of access, abuse and irresponsible drinking could quickly ensue.
"I've heard really sordid stories of people waking up from a night of drinking wearing someone else's clothes or not knowing where their underwear is," said freshman Sam Hillard.
Some find drinking can be an escape from daily stresses.
"Drinking is something that is fun to do every so often, to help you forget about the stress of papers and tests, but it's ridiculous to go out and always get smashed," said freshman Lauren Wendeln.
According to du Lac, students are responsible to complying with Indiana criminal law regarding alcohol possession and use, but the University will enter a student's dorm room for enforcing this law only if drinking in the room becomes public in any way. Some students feel that the University's alcohol policy is softer when compared to other universities.
"Notre Dame's official policies are more lenient than at other universities, they (the policies) make it easy to get alcohol and easy to party. At other schools alcohol is officially not allowed in dorm rooms." sophomore Steve Cantu points out.
As some freshmen have already discovered, rectors and residence advisors are quick to act when someone drinks irresponsibly and is in physical risk.
"It's good to have a rector who lives down the hall in case someone is out of control, which can happen with inexperienced people drinking," said freshman Jason Mathias.
Still, at least a few people said soft rules are a contradiction when compared to other University policies.
"It's funny how we hold our behavior to such high standards in some areas and then ignore a nation-wide law," freshman Jessica Schmidt said.
There are others on campus in opposition the student body's focus on drinking as its primary form of entertainment.
The alcohol culture can be seen in piles of beer cans and bottles in the garbage cans and recycling bins in the dorm to the illegitimate Notre Dame t-shirts with slogans like "Absolut Irish," "Drink Like a Champion Today" and "God, Country, Notre Dame, Beer" seen on countless students.
"I think it's classless that we identify our University with alcohol on our own apparel" said Hillard.
Non-drinkers sometimes find themselves feeling alienated at parties.
"The same people who during the week are good for profound conversation, on the weekend, act like idiots," said freshman Brian Hartman.
Alternatives to the alcohol culture are sought. The group Flipside offers alcohol-free entertainment
"There are many things to do and go to on campus," Schmidt said. "People can overlook them easily, but going to performances like the recent `Second City' production was as fun as most parties."
All News Stories for Wednesday, September 29, 1999
