Dartblog

Jeffrey Sunshine is the father of Matthew Sunshine, a Northwestern student who died of alcohol poisoning on June 10, 2008, after engaging in a drinking game with a NU senior who was surreptitiously drinking water. Sunshine père is a regular reader of Dartblog, and he writes in to take issue with a remark of mine in yesterday’s post:

Joe

You ask, “what parents aren’t yet aware that student drinking is a serious problem?”

We were unaware that over 40% of Northwestern students suffered alcohol or drug induced blackouts.

We were unaware that when our son was at Northwestern about a hundred (and now apparently many more) Northwestern students were (and are) rushed to the hospital each year for acute alcohol intoxication, many of them apparently with levels of alcohol higher than that which killed our son.

We were unaware that about 18% of Northwestern students have gotten into fights due to alcohol or drug use.

We were unaware that about 16% of Northwestern students have been hurt or injured due to alcohol or drug use.

For every parent of a female college student: We were unaware that on average 20% to 25% of college female students are physically sexually abused, or assaulted, or raped while at college, and alcohol is usually involved.

We were unaware that most students at Northwestern drink in more than moderation under CDC guidelines.

We were unaware that more than half of the students at Northwestern engaged in binge drinking.

We were unaware that the Northwestern administration believed that it was the victim of a societal problem.

Perhaps if parents knew the details of what occurs on campus, they would, in addition to watching more carefully over their sons and daughters, demand that administrations at schools like Northwestern, and apparently Dartmouth, take responsibility for what occurs on their campus and in residences, where they require that freshman students like our son live — supposedly for their own good — in order to acquaint them with the Northwestern way of life.

Jeffrey Sunshine
Matthew Sunshine’s Father

Addendum: A recent graduate comments from hard-won experience:

The only way to fix the alcohol problem at Dartmouth is to admit serious students, not hoop jumpers. Professors should make classes more rigorous, stop grade inflation and penalize truancy.

Standards like these would have kept me out of Hanover or would have at least made for a tough first quarter. But I would have learned an important lesson early on — the best things require seriousness and sacrifice.

I disagree with this argument. The pervasiveness of the alcohol culture sweeps in many level-headed, serious students. More serious, structural efforts are needed.