The Times

Drinking culture plagues colleges across the nation

March 30, 2007

Heavy beats spinning from a disc jockey in the corner. Students dancing in a basement, sipping on beers from dozens of 30-packs. The games begin: beer pong, flip cup and "who can funnel the most beer, the quickest?"

That scene is a typical Wednesday night at the Phi Kappa Tau house at Rider University, according to several students yesterday, who described the fraternity members as some of the biggest, and most fun, drinkers on the Lawrence campus.

"They're definitely one of the best frats for partying, maybe not every weekend, but they'll have at least one big rager every two weeks," said sophomore Sidney Innocent. "We can't have kegs, so they'll have like 40 boxes of 30-packs (of beer). Live music, pretty girls, a great scene."

Rider students, parents and university officials are confronting the consequences of scenes like this after the alcohol poisoning of student Gary DeVercelly. While such parties may be attractive to students, they are a sign of a culture of binge drinking that colleges across the country are facing.

The tragedy follows the death, just over a year ago, of The College of New Jersey freshman John Fiocco Jr. after a night during which he was drinking on the Ewing campus. Authorities have never said what role, if any, alcohol played in Fiocco's death.

Forty percent of all college students binge drink, according to a new study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Another study found that the number of alcohol-related deaths of college students rose from less than 1,600 in 1998 to more than 1,700 in 2001.

There are several reasons why students binge drink, according to Purdue University professor Julia Chester, who researches underage drinking.

"It's known as a rite of passage for college students to drink," Chester said, adding that binge drinking is propelled by both a "more is better" approach and the lack of restraint that can develop during social activities.

Alcohol can become particularly dangerous when it is used in drinking games such as beer pong, Chester said. Peer pressure and a gradual loss of judgment as blood-alcohol level rises aggravate the situation, she said.
Area colleges have repeatedly faced problems with students drinking in recent years. Each college has developed its own approach to preventing underage drinking.

This school year, TCNJ added a policy that there will be no drinking in its dorms during Senior Week, a time when seniors traditionally returned to the dorms where they lived as freshman for alcohol-laden parties. Violating TCNJ's prohibition against underage drinking can result in disciplinary action by the college and a municipal court summons by the township.

While TCNJ has no fraternities, at many schools -- such as Rider -- much of the student drinking culture is based around fraternity parties.

At Princeton University, much of the community's concern about drinking has focused on the independent eating clubs. However, university health services psychologist Roberto Schiraldi said last May that drinking liquor in dorm rooms presents a greater danger to students than drinking in the clubs, where beer is served.

Schiraldi said health services staff regularly must deal with students who were taken to the emergency room as a result of drinking shots and mixed drinks.

At Rider, the penalties become progressively greater when underage students are caught drinking. The first time, he or she must learn about alcohol abuse; the second time results in a visit to a counselor for evaluation, a letter is sent to the student's parents and he or she is put on social probation. The third time, the student is removed from the residence halls, Rider Dean of Students Tony Campbell said in August.

Rider President Mordechai Rozanski wrote about some of Rider's efforts to prevent alcohol abuse in an e-mail to students yesterday, saying that Rider offers educational programs during freshman orientation, through the Greek community and through residence halls.

"While these are important awareness and educational resources, this morning's incident underscores the need for our continuing vigilance," Rozanski wrote.

Rider baseball coach Barry Davis said the attitude to drinking at fraternities is a major problem.

"These kids get into these fraternities and it's 'Animal House' and drinking and partying, and they think that's it," said Davis, who met DeVercelly when he tried out for the team. Davis likened binge drinking to suicide.