2008 Woodie Awards
Webster dorm life not as innocent as it appears
EDITORIALS
Issue date: 4/7/05 Section: Opinion/Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
The president of the Student Government Association once called Webster the "anti-Animal House." After spending a little time in the residence halls, one could come to a dramatically different conclusion.
Marilyn Cartwright, a member of the custodial staff, finds empty beer cans in the residence halls several times a week, ever since the beginning of the school year. Members of Peer Education Zeitgeist say that concerned students are constantly coming to the organization with anecdotes of beer bottles in the parking lot and the grass outside Maria Hall. Even John Buck, the assistant dean of students, said that there is drinking in the dorms, as there probably is in all dorms.
Still, the belief that Webster students are more responsible with alcohol than other college students may be unfounded.
In the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey for the 2003 school year, Webster students did not fare well against the national average.
"While smoking and alcohol consumption decreased among Webster 2003 freshmen, they still smoked at a significantly higher level than both the norm and peer students and drank wine/liquor at a significantly higher level than norm students," the report reads.
Sixty percent of freshmen who answered the survey reported that they frequently consumed wine or liquor during the previous year, as opposed to a national college average of 51 percent. Even among peer institutions, only 56 percents of freshmen chose the hard stuff.
Webster freshmen were on the same level as other schools when it came to the consumption of beer, but Webster takes the prize on smoking, hands down. Thirteen percent smoked regularly, as compared to the six percent of smokers elsewhere.
This could explain the attitude of some freshman, who openly
admitted that the dorms could be full of debauchery. One fourth-floor resident said that she was surprised beer cans were found, since the floor usually sticks to hard liquor.
The difference between drinking at Webster and drinking at other campuses is the secrecy involved. No one denies that fraternity and sorority houses are predisposed to keg parties, but Webster drinking is a little more low-key. Unless they are engaged in other behavioral problems, campus drinking goes unnoticed - unless you're someone who has to clean up after the party, someone like Cartwright.
For this reason, perhaps it is fair to call Webster students more responsible. Even though most freshmen are underage, at least they are not making drunken fools of themselves in the hallway. They are simply sitting in their room, having a shot with their friends before watching "The Real World."
New-found freedom and binge drinking go hand-in-hand. We shouldn't be surprised that our freshmen are as experimental as others.
Marilyn Cartwright, a member of the custodial staff, finds empty beer cans in the residence halls several times a week, ever since the beginning of the school year. Members of Peer Education Zeitgeist say that concerned students are constantly coming to the organization with anecdotes of beer bottles in the parking lot and the grass outside Maria Hall. Even John Buck, the assistant dean of students, said that there is drinking in the dorms, as there probably is in all dorms.
Still, the belief that Webster students are more responsible with alcohol than other college students may be unfounded.
In the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey for the 2003 school year, Webster students did not fare well against the national average.
"While smoking and alcohol consumption decreased among Webster 2003 freshmen, they still smoked at a significantly higher level than both the norm and peer students and drank wine/liquor at a significantly higher level than norm students," the report reads.
Sixty percent of freshmen who answered the survey reported that they frequently consumed wine or liquor during the previous year, as opposed to a national college average of 51 percent. Even among peer institutions, only 56 percents of freshmen chose the hard stuff.
Webster freshmen were on the same level as other schools when it came to the consumption of beer, but Webster takes the prize on smoking, hands down. Thirteen percent smoked regularly, as compared to the six percent of smokers elsewhere.
This could explain the attitude of some freshman, who openly
admitted that the dorms could be full of debauchery. One fourth-floor resident said that she was surprised beer cans were found, since the floor usually sticks to hard liquor.
The difference between drinking at Webster and drinking at other campuses is the secrecy involved. No one denies that fraternity and sorority houses are predisposed to keg parties, but Webster drinking is a little more low-key. Unless they are engaged in other behavioral problems, campus drinking goes unnoticed - unless you're someone who has to clean up after the party, someone like Cartwright.
For this reason, perhaps it is fair to call Webster students more responsible. Even though most freshmen are underage, at least they are not making drunken fools of themselves in the hallway. They are simply sitting in their room, having a shot with their friends before watching "The Real World."
New-found freedom and binge drinking go hand-in-hand. We shouldn't be surprised that our freshmen are as experimental as others.