By VP Jeff Schone

In 2008, I attended the Mankato High Risk Drinking Summit, along with 200 other education, law enforcement, and community and student officials. The topic was how to change the culture of drinking at US colleges and universities. The keynote speaker offered five suggestions.

Following that summit, I wrote a short article for this newsletter in which I graded MLC efforts in regard to the speaker’s five points. In 2011, I updated the article, re-evaluating our campus culture and noting the progress we’ve made.

B

 Offer and promote alcohol-free social, recreational, extracurricular, and public service activity options to students
In 2008 I gave MLC a C+ for efforts to provide alcohol-free activity options as outlined in this criterion. I based this grade on MLC’s better than average intramural participation and rather standard course of cultural and musical activities planned by our Student Senate and Lyceum Committee. But some gains have been registered on campus, and I would raise the grade to a “B” today. Extra efforts have been made to provide students with more winter and outdoor activities. (Of particular note is a program that allows students to check out snowshoes and cross country skis.) Students have themselves developed an interest in community service activity, and I will mention, as an example, a group called The Anchor, which organizes volunteer work on campus and in the community. In addition, Anchor has sponsored alcohol-free entertainment events attracting hundreds of students. Work to promote even more alcohol-free events continues.

B

 Create a health-promoting environment that will influence student thinking and behavior

In 2008 I suggested that MLC, as it proclaims and teaches God’s Word, shines in this department. I also offered the opinion that MLC could do more to teach students about the nuts and bolts of healthy living, particularly in regard to alcohol and the responsible use of alcohol. While a new faculty/student/staff Wellness Committee has formed and promotes health and wellness issues on campus, more could be done to target alcohol awareness. I think the grade here stays the same but may be on the rise.

B-

 Limit alcohol availability on campus
Unfortunately, I have nothing new to report regarding this criterion.  Here’s what I wrote in 2008…the same is true today.

“Two thoughts here. On the one hand, students are not to have alcohol on campus and are not to use alcohol paraphernalia as decorations in their residence hall rooms. In this regard MLC takes a more particular stance than most schools. At the same time, alcohol does find its way into dormitory rooms and student hands.  Peers provide for peers despite our monitoring efforts. The challenge is to find ways to encourage those who are of legal drinking age not to provide alcohol for friends who are not yet of age.”

A-

 Restrict marketing and promotion of alcoholic beverages on and off campus
In 2008 I wrote, briefly, “No alcohol advertising or marketing is allowed on the MLC campus,” and I awarded MLC an “A” grade.  I’m lowering this grade somewhat in 2011 because I am aware that students are using social networking (i.e., Facebook) on campus when they promote parties.

B+

 Increase the development and enforcement of campus policies and state and local laws
What I wrote in 2008 still pertains today.

“Dorm supervisors and RAs help me enforce MLC’s alcohol policies, and we deal with all the issues that come to our attention. We charge fines, offer counseling, mandate coursework, even dismiss students when the situation warrants. At the same time, the dormitory staff doesn’t find out about all of the violations and incidents that occur. It can be a source of frustration to students who see individuals violating alcohol laws and policies and getting away with it.”

I’ve increased the grade from a “B” to a “B+,” however, because I sense more involvement by our RA staff in regard to alcohol issues recently. I can also relate that I serve on a Brown County committee that worked to institute a “Social Host” ordinance in New Ulm that helps law enforcement officers deal more effectively with underage drinking.

I believe that progress is happening in regard to alcohol issues at MLC. Is the problem solved? Is it going away? Not at all. I can’t imagine that something so much a part of American society would not affect our campus to some extent. No, alcohol issues will continue to be a concern that needs to be addressed. But we will keep addressing the matter; we will keep on working, talking, counseling, admonishing, disciplining, teaching and instructing. We will keep on using the tools that God gives us in the Scriptures and that point students to Jesus, their Savior and their Leader.  This is the privilege God gives us and the benefit God provides for our students.

* The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University maintains a forum called Parent Power on its website <http://www.casacolumbia.org> to engage parents in a conversation about how to raise kids alcohol and drug free! Check it out!