NCSU’s alcohol program has good news
Jay Goel’s opinion piece, “Don’t just demonize alcohol,” brings up a good point. Some alcohol programs do demonize alcohol, and typically their impacts are minimal at best in changing positive health behavior. In my opinion, alcohol is a neutral entity, neither good nor bad — how much alcohol consumed usually determines whether a drinking experience is positive or negative. Programs that approach alcohol in a neutral vein typically show more positive results from their participants.
N.C. State’s alcohol programming offered through Health Promotion keeps this neutrality approach in mind — this includes the online courses AlcoholEdu for College and Sanctions, where a goal is to teach students the difference between low-risk and high-risk alcohol consumption. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) low-risk consumption is considered, for men, no more than four (4) drinks on any day and no more than 14 drinks per week; for women, no more than three (3) drinks on any day and no more than seven (7) drinks per week. Campus statistics report that NCSU students typically consume 4 or fewer drinks when they drink, and about 20 percent don’t drink at all — that’s good news!
On the other hand, many administrators recognize alcohol consumption as the University’s number one problem. Unfortunately, a sizeable minority drinks in high-risk ways, and this can lead to negative consequences far beyond a simple underage-drinking ticket. According to University Police daily crime logs there have been at least two student DWIs in the last 10 days, and at least six non-students have received DWIs while driving on campus since July. Also, in the last 10 days there have been a few hospital transports from campus due to alcohol poisoning.
There are second-hand effects as well. Alcohol-related surveys given to our students find that over 50 percent have their study or sleep interrupted due to another student’s alcohol-related behavior — that’s part of the not so good news!
The great news is: we all have choices as to whether we want to engage in low-risk or high-risk behaviors. I encourage anyone who consumes alcohol to make low-risk choices — most are already doing so! For those concerned about their own high-risk use, I encourage you to come see us in Health Promotion or visit the NIAAA site (http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/).
Chris Austin
assistant director of health promotion, substance abuse prevention
A president as an example
I’ve read with interest the types of qualities one would want to see in a chancellor. I’d offer one exemplary example: President John Hennessy of Stanford University.
Dr. Hennessy first joined Stanford in 1977 as an assistant professor in electrical engineering and computer science. He was head of a major research lab, then chair of the department and finally dean of the school of engineering. Hennessy replaced Condoleezza Rice as provost in 1999, and became president (what Stanford calls the role of chancellor) a year later. Dr. Hennessy has experience at every level of the university. He is also a noted educator — he co-wrote one of the most popular textbooks on computer architecture, it is used across the country. N.C. State should have a chancellor that understands the important role universities can play in fueling economic growth and impacting the world by bringing new ideas to society. In his sabbatical year (1984), Dr. Hennessy co-founded MIPS Computer Systems. MIPS commercialized his research in RISC processors — it later went IPO and was acquired. Today, Hennessy sits on the boards of successful companies like Google, Cisco, and Atheros.
He also understands athletics: two years ago when Stanford finally beat its arch rival Berkeley at home in the Big Game, all the students stormed the football field. I spotted Hennessy on the field too, and gave him a high five when he came running past. The following year, when we played at Berkeley, Hennessy skipped the VIP route and chose to enter the stadium with his students, through the crowded away team’s entrance. His name was cheered all the way inside.
Saket Vora
alumnus, class of 2007
