Ever since the lacrosse case, the administration has been seeking the perfect balance to attain an ideal "campus culture," a term almost as empty as "utility" or "sexually active." Hell, I don't want our campus to simply have one culture. Most independents would fear the cultural imperialism of the Greeks: Everyone would wear Polos and shotgun beers daily.
But how can we make the campus social scene more open to everyone? What is necessary to create more social niches for individuals to assimilate into?
Lower or eliminate the drinking age.
My religion professor, who is British, always likes to tell us tidbits of information that we can use "out at the bar." Then he catches himself and remembers that most of us can't go out to bars and enjoy the casual, comfortable atmosphere that the Brits enjoy in their favorite local bar while attending university.
When students can actually enjoy the company of whomever while enjoying a cold brew, they are more likely to go out and interact with a wider variety of students at a random bar. Pub Trivia, Big Beer Nights, etc. would draw students from all corners of campus together. Oh yeah, and we'd finally integrate more into Durham like the University has been trying to get us to do for a while.
We could also bring back an on-campus bar, which could be staffed by anyone on campus and would bring people from all over to enjoy good conversation and good drinks. Maybe even make a Duke Microbrew! That would then increase the name recognition of the University, increase the number of applicants, improve the applicant pool, decrease the acceptance rate and boost our University's ranking. Eat that (or should I say drink that), Ivy wannabes.
Student organizations would also be more empowered to throw parties for the entire campus. People would actually use the Plaza for something other than tabling. (That goes out to Larry Moneta.) Imagine an epic kegger on the Plaza. Awesome, right? Lots of space, music blaring, and I feel like something inventive can be done with the misters. Campus Council, for example, might attract a wider array of students to their events; instead of only seniors trying to bum free beer off the University, it would be a large chunk of the student body bumming free beer off the administration.
Students would also take more time to relax, because they could sit down and have a good drink rather than sit down and complain about their 14 midterms in two classes with an additional 10 papers due in each. Decreasing stress is good for everyone on campus.
The University can also revamp AlcoholEdu to create a more enjoyable program: Each FAC would get to educate their group about all different types of alcohol. Not in the demonizing way, but in the useful way. Wine and tequila hangovers suck. All the "if you drink x amount, you will die" stuff can still be in the program, but it would be accompanied with tasting sessions. AlcoholEdu = alcohol appreciation. Then people might understand that real mixed drinks > sketchy punch and that vodka does not mix with anything.
Further, Durham can take ALE officers and put them into useful programs. For example, they could protect our community. Maybe catch some robbers and murderers. And they would stop being a pain in the University's... side. Judicial Affairs and campus police have more important stuff to do. Like getting that sketchy old guy (who was arrested twice for illegally entering Crowell and Bell Tower) out of University dorms.
The obstacle: some old ladies who are MADD about something.
But most of us don't drive, and there's no need to when going to Main Street or on-campus establishments and such. So the mothers would just be MAD-which is an acronym related to nuclear war. And MAD deters countries from nuking each other.... so... MAD may deter students from being dumb about drinking. Flawless logic, right?
In the words of Ben Franklin, "There can't be good living where there is not good drinking." Good drinking is not binge drinking. Therefore, lowering the drinking age would improve drinking, and thus improve life. Our founding fathers obvi founded this country on more than life, but also liberty (to drink) and the pursuit of happiness (drinking leads to happiness).
So for the sake of America, this University and alcoholic beverages themselves, lower the drinking age. Improve the social scene.
Drew Everson is a Trinity sophomore. His column runs every other Friday.
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