Letter sparks crackdown on alcohol abuse

Concern over recent student deaths at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Louisiana State University and the University of Virginia have led administrators to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy towards student drinking.

by Melissa Lessig news editor

Last year Cabrini initiated a policy suspending any student who was sent to the hospital for drinking. Due to the increasing number of recent deaths of college students across the country from alcohol, Cabrini plans to continue with this policy.

Before the start of the 1998-99 school year, a letter was mailed to all Cabrini parents by Dr. Robert Bonfiglio. vice presideQt for student development and dean of students. The topic of this letter was alcohol and the positioij. of Cabrini College on the matter including the new policy.

According to Bonfiglio, the reason for the letter was due to the deaths of students on college campuses throughout the United States at the hands of alcohol.

"Last year was a very difficult year for people in positions like me," he said, "there was the death of a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the death of a student at Louisiana State University and the death of . student at the University of Virginia. Nothing scares me more than the fear that something like that will happen here."

"After the death of the student by alcohol at MIT, a letter was sent to schools from the superintendent of the district where the MIT student attended," Bonfiglio said.

The superintendent basically asked schools to make sure they are doing all they can to prevent this.

Bonfiglio then thought he should write a letter to the parents of the students at Cabrini.

The letter explains the policy held by the college on "illegal and excessive alcohol consumption" and notifies the parents of plans that the college has initiated to alleviate the problem of alcohol abuse.

According to Bonfiglio, last year, after a few students were sent to the hospital for drinking, the college established the policy that anyone sent to the hospital for drinking would be suspended from school for a week.

"We will be continuing this policy," Bonfiglio said. Bonfiglio said they have always had a policy that if anyone does harm to himself or herself, such as threatening suicide, he or she would be suspended for a week. Bonfiglio thought the same policy should apply to alcohol abuse.

Also, the college has hired Karen Pollack as its new drug and alcohol health educator.

According to Bonfiglio, she is working under the resident life staff. Therefore, when an alcohol incident occurs in the resident halls, she will be more integrally involved.

In addition, as the letter informs, a nationally known speaker, Fr. Joseph C. Martin, wil1 be speaking at Cabrini on Monday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Dixon Center.

Martin runs a rehabilitation center in Maryland named Ashley. The letter states he is "most notable for helping thousands of alcoholics in the United States."

Bonfiglio thinks the college has taken all the necessary steps to help prevent alcohol abuse without eliminating alcohol on campus.

However, to Bonfiglio, banning alcohol does not seem like the solution

"We would be denying 21-year-olds the legal rights that they have in society," Bonfiglio said."Our job is to prepare students for society and it is not a dry world. It is not an educationally appropriate policy."

Ultimately, Bonfiglio feels that is important to consider others, such as family and friends, when abusing alcohol.

"I've seen the impact of drinking to the excess on family and friends," Bonfiglio said. "If you don't want to do something for yourselves, consider others."