Hampshire College

Five College student leaders organize conference to discuss national issue of alcohol on campuses

April 24 at Hampshire College in Franklin Patterson Hall
Keynote speaker: Barrett Seaman, 2:30 p.m.

The Five College Student Coordinating Board (student government presidents and other campus leaders) organized and hosted an April 24 conference tackling the academic, political and social challenges of alcohol policy and student drinking.

Students, as well as staff, faculty, and administrators, from Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts Amherst gathered at Hampshire College in Franklin Patterson Hall for what the organizers hope will be the first of many conferences, both in the area and nationwide, to discuss the issues surrounding drinking on college campuses.

Even though the number of young people in this country who drink has been on a slight decline for many years, the number engaging in dangerous and high risk drinking practices is on a steady rise, says a study from Harvard University that appeared in the Journal of American College Health. Young people are starting to drink at an earlier age and report that alcohol is very easy to acquire. Police chiefs report not being able to effectively enforce the drinking age and college campuses across the country are struggling to provide a safe environment for their students.

“Providing robust, accurate and objective information on the realities of alcohol and educating on the differences between responsible and irresponsible drinking practices is a critical piece for combating the rise of dangerous drinking practices that we currently see not just on our college campuses but in younger and younger Americans across the country” says Alex Torpey, chair of the Five College Student Coordinating Board and a fourth-year student at Hampshire College. Torpey’s senior thesis at Hampshire is also about drinking culture and rethinking alcohol policy in the United States.

Barrett Seaman, former Time Magazine editor, spoke at 2:30 p.m. He is the author of Binge: Campus Life in an Age of Disconnection and Excess. Seaman gave a breakdown of the arguments for and against our current drinking age, with the goal of stimulating critical thought so that people arrive at their own conclusions regarding effective alcohol policy. Student leaders also spoke, and President Ralph Hexter welcomed participants to Hampshire College.

After the keynote ceremony, participants were given the option of attending one of various small group sessions. In addition to local staff and faculty who hosted workshops, professor emeritus of sociology at the State University of New York at Potsdam David J. Hanson  conducted a workshop called “Reducing Alcohol Abuse Among Young People: Thinking Outside the Box.” Professor Hanson has published two books in the field of alcohol education as well as many papers and articles on effective ways to educate young people about responsible use of alcohol and the dangers of abuse.

Various health services staff were available at the conference to provide information for participants on alcohol and health, as well as resources for identifying possible substance abuse issues.

The conference was open to the public, free of charge, and accessible.