Extra Credit Deliberation Reflection

Last Saturday, Feb. 28, as many of us know from experience, was State Patty’s day. What could be a more appropriate recognition of this day than a public deliberation on alcohol on the Penn State campus? Such was the topic of the engaging, thought provoking, and even inspiring deliberation that I attended on Saturday.

The three approaches to addressing the issue of alcohol on campus were as follows: stricter policies and enforcement, encouraging an alcohol-free lifestyle, and changing the alcohol culture at Penn State. Naturally, each of these generated good discussion. The general consensus was that policy enforcement was not the way to go; it’s impossible to arrest every underage, alcohol-consuming student. And is that even right if the student isn’t harming any of his surroundings? Instead, emphasis was placed on effective education about the detrimental affects of alcohol, providing and widely advertising more alternatives to the weekend party option, and bringing together people who choose not to drink to challenge the negative stigma placed on non-drinkers. SAFE should be more engaging, and its completion required and followed up on. Activities other than movies and crafts at the HUB need to be available; even parties to attend just for dancing without the alcohol. The substance-free housing option should be bigger and promoted more, and a club created for those who choose not to drink in their college years. One of the attenders of the deliberation might even become the creator of that club.

All in all, the deliberation was vibrant and full of diverse opinions that were able to come together despite different experiences.

 

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