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CAMPUS

The Norwich Guidon
Feb. 26, 2004

Students view NU alcohol awareness program with apathy

By Holly Manning
Norwich Guidon Staff writer

Being at a military and private institution, Norwich University students suffer far more consequences than those students at public schools when it comes to one of the most common topics in colleges and universities: alcohol.

NU students who are VAPed (those who have violated the alcohol policy) are required to partake in the Norwich Alcohol Awareness Program (NAAP) and are also required to do 30 hours of community service.

"It runs each semester, and if you get VAPed, you have to go to it. It's more of an alcohol awareness program than an actual alcohol anonymous thing," said Keegan Ziemba, 20, a junior biomedical technology and biology major from Manchester, NH., who is also the Assistant Resident Coordinator for Crawford Hall.

NAAP is held once each week for four weeks in Upper Harmon from 6:30 to 8pm, said Morgan Davis, 18, a freshman business major from Berlin, Vt. Davis will be starting the class next week after being caught with alcohol in her room.

"They are making me take classes, and I seriously don't think I'm going to get anything out of it. I've been though health class in high school, and it's going to tell you the same thing," Davis said.

Danielle Rupert, 19, a sophomore architecture major from Massena, N.Y., attended the class spring semester of 2003. The first day consisted of the students partnering up with others they did not know, and they had to tell the class why their partner was there, Rupert said.

"We watched videos and had guest speakers. The last couple sessions, they had a couple guys who came in who had some interesting stories about stuff they had no idea they did," Rupert said.

"I've had quite a few friends go through it, already, and the only thing I really know I have to do is take a test your first day of being there, and to exit the class you have to take the same test and score a higher percentage on it, otherwise you have to take the class over again," Davis said. Rupert said the class doesn't harp on not drinking, but it provides information about alcohol as well as information commonly known and other details that students aren't as well-informed about.

There is much speculation on whether this first offense punishment is too harsh or not.

"In some ways, it's almost a better first offense punishment, because it's not too difficult," Ziemba said. "It's once a week, so it could be worse their first time around."

A warning should be issued the first time a student gets caught with alcohol on campus, said Jessica Wilbur, 18, a freshman from East Calais, Vt. "On your first offense, you have to take the class and do 30 hours of judicial work hours. They're pretty much saying you have an alcohol problem, because you get caught once," Davis said. "Everybody's going to do it once. It's just the people who get caught go through it. I think it should be on your second or third offense."

Whether this class is beneficial to students is the real question. "I think the program would be beneficial to students who believe or feel they have an alcohol problem, but forcing students to go through it isn't going to benefit them in any way," Davis said. "They're going to be mad that they're there and they're not going to want to be there or learn anything."

"I don't think students will benefit from it, because they're just in it because they have to be and not because they want to be, so they're just going to go to class and not even care," Wilbur said. "I think it's beneficial in the fact that there are a lot of people that may not understand the affects of alcohol, so it does do the awareness increasing, but I think at the same time I don't know if it's too long or if people lose interest," Ziemba said.

Some students who have taken the class have volunteered to help out and speak to future students, Rupert said.

Ziemba said the program is in the process of expanding, and the university is working on hiring a full-time substance abuse counselor.

"A lot of people they interviewed for the job are really focused on getting the word out there to help people," Ziemba said.

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.