Big Party

More students, more booze, more problems.

It’s a rather simple recipe.

And that distinct scent of alcohol wafting throughout campus at night is only getting stronger.

The amount of alcohol violations – disciplinary actions and referrals – on and off Main Campus increased significantly between 2005 and 2006, according to Campus Safety Services’ annual security report. Admission increased by 9 percent from 2005 to 2006. This year’s freshman class of 4,300 is the largest ever in Temple’s history.

So you know what that means: Let the party continue!

As the university continues its long transition from a commuter school to a residential campus, the issue of alcohol – chiefly, the issue of underage drinking – is only going to get worse.

Sure, Temple has several entities set up to help curb the amount of drinking: The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Task Force, Campus Alcohol and Substance Awareness, the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of the Dean and Campus Safety Services. And to the credit of each of those organizations, they have created several anti-drinking activities within recent years including Free Food and Fun Fridays, expanding the hours of operation at the IBC Student Recreation Center and prohibiting alcohol use for all students – including those of legal age – in residence halls.

But these organizations can only do so much.

In the end, the onus falls on students to help decrease the amount of alcohol usage on campus.

It’s surprising that no student organization of note has hosted an event to discuss the burgeoning problem of alcohol on campus. Student organizations should be rewarded for holding programs that educate their members about the dangers of underage drinking, in addition to other alcohol-related issues.

No matter what the administration tries to do, students are going to continue to drink. Cracking down on house parties and other near-campus events might scare a small amount of students, but the majority will just continue to find other ways to drink.

The administration is trying its hardest to make Temple a dry campus, but, at this point, it’s wetter than ever.

And if the admission rates continue to increase, more and more students will be diving into the pool of suds.

Bottoms up!