John M. McCardell Jr., president emeritus of Middlebury College, is a respected Civil War scholar. His lectures on the Gettysburg Address command large audiences at alumni meetings, and his seminars on the war always attract eager undergraduates. Recently the genteel academic threw himself into another conflict. Call it the Battle of the Binge.…

For the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the drinking age recently questioned by college presidents, is not a topic for debate. In August the organization publicly berated the Amethyst Initiative, a group of 100 presidents and chancellors who signed a statement urging legislators to revisit the law and to examine its effectiveness. The…

Despite conventional wisdom, the alcohol problem colleges face is not mainly about high-risk drinkers, and the solution is not about intervening with them alone. Yet studies show that, despite a handful of solid efforts in the realm of primary prevention, most colleges take a group-think approach to identifying and intervening with high-risk…

Under-age drinkers will do almost anything to stay out of trouble. Sometimes they won't even call 911 in an emergency, says Meghan Hanrahan, a junior at Ohio University. That's why she believes administrators should waive judicial punishments when intoxicated students seek medical help for themselves or their friends. Ms. Hanrahan, a student at…

A gentleman does not steal horses, spit food across the table, or pee on peoples' shoes. By that definition, John "Bluto" Blutarsky is not a gentleman, but something more extraordinary. The fictional antihero of "National Lampoon's Animal House," Bluto is a slovenly symbol of irreverence, a bloated personification of the id. Bored by the past and…

Reports on efforts at several colleges (Ithaca College, New York; Princeton University, New Jersey; Luther College, Iowa; and Vassar College, New York) to end such school traditions as nude streaking or naked soccer, usually accompanied by heavy drinking. School officials see such activities as significant threats to students' health and safety.…

Discusses how, as Harvard's Henry Wechsler continues to warn that a "sea of alcohol" threatens many campuses, some health experts wonder whether he is doing more harm than good. (EV)

Discusses results of and university responses to a 1998 amendment to the Higher Education Act that allows schools to inform parents any time a student under 21 violates drug or alcohol laws. Research findings indicate a drop in the recidivism rate from notification policies, but many universities continue to shy away from alerting parents. (EV)

Describes a program at Texas Tech University which offers scholarships to 36 recovering drug or alcohol addicts each semester as part of its Center for the Study of Addiction which trains addiction counselors. Notes the special admissions process for these students and their apparent success in the program. (DB)

Some conclusions reached by colleges that participated in one of the regional workshops being sponsored by three U.S. agencies on substance-abuse and traffic-safety programs in higher education are discussed. More colleges have moved from punitive to educational measures in dealing with students who violate substance-abuse rules. (MLW)

Data from over 2,400 colleges and universities concerning the number and types of crimes committed on campus are tabulated by state and institution. Statistics are presented on reported numbers of incidents involving murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft and on arrests for liquor violations, drugs, and…

The alcohol-related death of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) freshman has focused attention on problems in the institution's housing policies and fraternity system, including unclear policy about housing and long-ignored complaints about hazing and dangerous drinking in the Greek system. (MSE)

U.S. Department of Education (DOE) data showed a 1999 increase in drug and alcohol arrests on college campuses. Also, the number of reported sex offenses rose by 6 percent from 1998-99. Some experts question the validity of the year-to-year comparisons and the DOE data. Presents statistics on sex offenses, drug use, and drinking and football. (SM)

Rutgers University's alcohol and drug abuse program aids New Jersey college students while they live in special facilities and continue to attend class. Previously, students referred to off-campus clinics had to choose either recovery or college. However, some say help with addictions is not a college responsibility. (MSE)

A survey found that 35 percent of student affairs administrators thought campus problems involving alcohol had increased in the past several years, and 42 percent saw no change. Universities have substantially expanded their alcohol education and prevention activities since 1985. (MLW)