Pros and Cons of a Dry Campus

Every year, universities always have the same issue regarding alcohol. Students are constantly getting in trouble for possession or consumption. Here at Eastern Connecticut State University, the policy is a dry campus. This means that alcohol is completely prohibited on campus. There are many opinions when it comes to this choice, as there are also many pros and cons to it. One pro of having a dry campus is that students can find other events to go to. Eastern often offers other events where students can do and socialize, promoting a night without alcohol. Students can also join clubs, intramurals, sports, etc. All of these clubs and events offer a positive influence on the students by keeping them busy. According to a friend and student of the school, one event that the University of Maryland sponsors is the “Spring Party Challenge.” This is where students are encouraged to throw the best party possible without the availability of alcohol. The winner of this event will receive $300 and two runner-ups will receive $100 each. Although Eastern does not offer an event like this, it does have other fun things to do like the monthly “Fridays After Dark” events or even free pancakes on Thursday nights sponsored by the Christian Fellowship group. Another pro of having a dry campus is for the school itself. Because more than half the students at universities are underage, having a dry campus is a smart choice for schools. This is because it makes them not liable for any incidents that may happen to their students involving alcohol. With a written document, it’s rather difficult to blame the school for anything that could happen. An issue involving this is the amount of death of college students throughout the years. According to Collegedrinkingprevention.org, “1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 died from alcohol-related unintentional injuries including motor vehicle crashes” (article reviewed in 2010, year of statistic not available). The