Alcohol Abstinence Pledge!
Dear Mom and Dad,
Yesterday all the residents of the Hank Ingram community met in Wilson 103. There are almost 300 of us. Professor Brown spoke about the meaning of community and the importance of principles and values. Everything was going great until he asked the residents, all of whom are less than 21 years of age, to voluntarily sign an Alcohol Abstinence Pledge. A little more than a third of the residents signed the Pledge but not me. My friends and I are not yielding to pressure to be outstanding community citizens of Hank Ingram House.
I refuse to abide by federal and state law and you know I could care less about Vanderbilt policies. Remember you raised me to be an independent thinker. I want to consume alcoholic beverages whenever I feel like it, even though it’s illegal, conflicts with Vanderbilt University’s Community Creed—which I signed by the way, and is associated with lots of deleterious outcomes. As an 18 year old, it is important for me to fit in with the popular students at all costs. Everybody knows that underage drinking is rampant at Vanderbilt, and that it’s sexy and cool. Plus, I really don’t feel comfortable being me until after I’ve had at least one beer or two or three or four. I just feel awkward in social situations when I’m not buzzing a little bit. What’s the harm in having a couple drinks and sneaking into a bar every once and while? I probably will not ride home in a car with my friends who think like me about drinking.
Bottom line: I just don’t understand why Professor Brown has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to underage drinking. He spoke about making smart decisions, but I know that I am wiser than he is.
So I want to move to another House in The Commons. I want to live where it’s socially acceptable to break the law, where principles and values are theoretical, where morality is determined by what everybody else is doing, and where I don’t have any rules. I am sure that another Faculty Head of House would love to have me in their House because I model leadership and strength of character.
Love you,
John B. Firstyear