Alcohol Awareness

Marietta College is committed to fostering the intellectual and personal development of members of our campus community. The abuse of alcohol—and the behaviors that often follow such abuse—is at odds with our mission.

Information about preventing and limiting the impact of alcohol abuse on campus is available through the Campus Alcohol Policy, Signs of Alcohol Poisoning and two anonymous online screening services:

Alcohol Screening.org

A screening service, provided by the Boston University School of Public Health, that provides detailed feedback and lists local alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs.

electronic Check-Up to Go

This brief, online survey, sponsored by San Diego State University, allows college students to enter information about their drinking habits and to receive feedback about their use of alcohol.

A Message from President Jean Scott

Dear Marietta College Students:

The best part of my job as President of Marietta College is to see students grow intellectually and personally and to see you succeed in reaching your goals. The faculty and staff are here to help you in those endeavors, and to do so is the source of the pleasure we take in our work. I want to address you briefly here on a matter of great importance to all of us.

I am deeply concerned by the dominant role alcohol plays in the social life of many of our students. At the All-Campus Meeting held on March 1, 2006, we learned that a survey of Marietta College students showed that over 80% considered alcohol a central part of their social lives. Binge drinking is, unfortunately, quite common. My goal here is not to tell you not to drink if you are of legal drinking age, but to suggest that, whatever your age, you consider seriously several aspects of drinking and social life, and that you then make responsible decisions. I feel strongly about the need to change the social culture on campus for at least five reasons.

First, I want you to be safe. Binge drinking and drunk driving are responsible for the deaths of numerous students across the country every year. I am very grateful that no Marietta College student has died as a result of drinking during my time here. Your lives are full or opportunity and promise, and it would be unspeakably tragic to see even one cut short as a result of alcohol consumption.

Second, campus police and student life officials tell me that almost every case of student misbehavior, from sexual assault to disorderly conduct, involves the excessive use of alcohol. You cannot protect yourself effectively if you have been drinking excessively, nor can you be as sure as you would otherwise be that you will conduct yourself appropriately.

Third, if you are under 21, consuming alcohol is against the law, and if you drink, you risk arrest.

Fourth, your ability to work to your maximum capacity or to enjoy other activities completely is seriously diminished by drinking.

Finally, excessive alcohol consumption may result in judicial sanctions on campus. Our alcohol policies are intended to keep students safe and to create an environment in which all students can learn and live productively. Sanctions are a last resort, the result of a failure to find better ways of having fun, and I hope you will make them unnecessary.

Marietta College provides an array of social opportunities through clubs and organizations, athletics, the arts and the programs sponsored by Student Life and the College Union Board. We hope that you will immediately be drawn to some of these activities, and that you will expand your range of interests while you are here. Your enjoyment of these activities does not depend on alcohol consumption, and I urge you to use these activities as ways of having fun without alcohol.

I challenge each of you to make the most of your time at Marietta College. Work hard, develop a social life that is not dependent on alcohol, commit yourself to being responsible for your own wellbeing and that of your fellow students, and take advantage of the opportunities here to have a good time. When you look back on your time at Marietta College, I want you to have clear memories of challenges met and friendships cultivated in a safe environment.

Best wishes,

Jean A. Scott
President

Additional Web Resources

• Alcoholics Anonymous
  The official AA Web site.

• Be Responsible About Drinking.org (brad21.org)
  
  Founded by the family and friends of Bradley McCue, a Michigan State University junior who died of alcohol poisoning after celebrating his 21st birthday.

• Facts on Tap.org
  Information from Phoenix House, a nonprofit provider of substance abuse treatment and prevention services.

• College Drinking Prevention.gov
  Sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Policy on Alcohol