Ripon College has officially endorsed the Amethyst Initiative (AI), a potentially controversial initiative borne out of conversations within the Annapolis Group, a cadre of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges, of which Ripon College is a member. The degree to which this initiative stirs controversy is wholly dependent upon whether the public understands its intent and why it is being supported by nearly 130 institutions nationwide. I would like to take a moment to a) clarify the tenets of the document Ripon College has signed, and b) explain its importance.

The National Minimum Age Drinking Act was passed by Congress in 1984, which basically forced states to raise the drinking age from 18 to 21 through the threat of reduced federal highway fund appropriations. Suffice it to say that many young adults below the legal drinking age do not view this law to be a significant hurdle in the procurement and consumption of alcohol. In fact, the law as written may have helped create an illicit culture of so-called “binge” drinking that pervades the college experience from coast to coast. The Amethyst Initiative represents a commitment by college presidents to do three basic things:

• Support an informed and dispassionate public debate over the effects of the 21 year-old drinking age.
• Consider whether the 10% highway fund “incentive” encourages or inhibits that debate.
• Invite new ideas about the best ways to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol.
  

It is important to note that none of these objectives specifies lowering the drinking age or any other particular solution to the issue. I and other AI signatories do not question the validity of good research, nor do we deny that the 21 drinking age law has had some positive effects over time. We are simply saying that if “conditions on the ground” are any indication, the law as it stands does little to mitigate the effects of irresponsible drinking on college campuses. Therefore in the interest of our students’ health, safety and well-being, we believe that investigating alternative policies is a worthwhile endeavor. As educators, we have a responsibility to challenge the status quo even when doing so may be unpopular or controversial.

We feel that a three-year (or more) disparity between the driving, voting, marriage, military-service age, and the drinking age is disingenuous at best. A young man or woman can get married, pay just about every kind of tax, vote for their leaders and fight (and die) for our country for three full years before he/she can legally drink under any circumstances. It sends a mixed message: Society believes you are mature enough to make virtually any life-changing decision, but not mature enough to drink responsibly. This stance does not give our young people the credit they deserve.

I believe that the current generation of college students is one of the most academically serious and civically engaged I have served. They have plans and résumés. They contribute meaningfully to their communities through service. They are largely color-blind when it comes to race and culture. They value teamwork and fairness. The phenomenon of social networking has created a sort of real-time accountability in ways that my generation has not fully understood, as much of their lives are chronicled online for perpetuity. We need to listen to them, respond with clarity and consistency, and then hold them accountable for their actions.

My point is simply this: For as many college students in this country who drink irresponsibly, there is a vast and growing majority whose actions and attitudes demonstrate that they are capable of making smart life decisions - even about alcohol.

College leaders will continue to combat underage drinking on our campus. I do not claim to know the best solution to this national problem, but I do know that the current policy simply isn’t working well. Senior leadership at Ripon College is united in its belief that a tenable solution to this very serious problem is possible through a vigorous public debate – one which we are happy to lead. Indeed, to oppose such a debate would be antithetic to one of Ripon’s most cherished core values, the promotion of “honesty, fairness, candor, respect, responsibility, trust, inclusiveness, and openness.” Let’s begin the debate.

For more information, please refer to our Q&A on this subject or feel free to contact me directly.

David C. Joyce
President