During the first two weekends at Fairfield University, Sept. 7 to Sept. 15, of the 2002-2003 semester, the number of hospitalizations and overnights at the Health Center increased significantly from the same time period from in 2001, according to Anne Cole, director of the Student Health Center said in an interview with the Mirror.
There were seven hospitalizations at St. Vincent’s, three of which were freshman. There were also 17 students brought up to the Health Center, 10 of which were freshman. While exact figures from last year could not be computed, Cole did say that there was an increase this year.
“We’ve seen an increase in drinking and in drug use. There have also been cases of drugs being slipped into drinks. It’s very scary,” commented Cole. “More students flunk out, are thrown out, or leave college due to alcohol related incidents than are awarded a post-graduate degree each year. It blows my mind.”
In addition, the number of with security involvement has increased to 16 from 14 over the period from Sept. 1 until Sept. 23. Todd Pelazza, head of campus security for Fairfield University is concerned. “One incident has been serious. People need to drink responsibly and legally. We need to avert tragedy on campus.”
Not only are students concerned with heavy drinking, but also the policy that students may be documented for going to the Health Center, regardless of whether security or other university staff members become directly involved or not.
Miguel Delgado, ’04, states, “If you can’t handle you liquor, don’t drink. If you do, don’t be stupid about it. But with the new points system, I’d rather take care of my friend the whole night than bring them up to the health center. Why should someone get penalized for doing what the university suggested?”
While the exact reason is not known as to why there is such a marked increase, there are some theories. Jeanne DiMuzio, director of Wellness and Prevention, has seen the increase in this generation of students from 1998 to the present time. “Alcohol plays a part in many of these students’ pre-college experience. In the past five years, there has been more student experimentation than five years ago. Fewer students have their first drink at college,” said DiMuzio.
According to DiMuzio, drinking on campus is part of the ‘curiosity curve’. Students will drink when they first come to college because they want to experience what drinking and partying on campus is all about. “Once they hit the curve too hard or too fast, they end up having to see me. When I ask them if it was peer pressure or just curiosity, they usually respond that it was curiosity. They just want to see what it is all about,” said DiMuzio.
With the Jogues residence hall being designated as freshman only, one may think that this may be a significant factor in freshman intoxications. DiMuzio feels that there are two ways of looking at Jogues, both positively and negatively, “Skeptics agree that because the freshmen are all together, there is undoubtedly going to be an increase in alcohol usage amongst the freshman class. On the flip side, because there are only freshman, there are no outside influences. Everyone is in the same boat.”
“This is our strongest class academically. All students at Fairfield need to be responsible and safe. Students need to use common sense when at parties. Everyone has potential. When students habitually use substances, they become out of touch with life on campus. Their ability to be their best is impeded,” stressed Debnam Chappell, dean of Freshman.
However, Dean of Students, Mark Reed, said the increase in alcohol intoxication is not just limited to the Class of 2006. Rather, it encompasses sophomores as well as juniors. Said Reed, “From my perspective, it appears that a significant number if these intoxications are due to hard liquor consumption, specifically shots. This is not to say that we have not seen intoxicated students who have consumed only beer. That is a common misconception.”
Reed also feels that there has not been a change in the vigilance of the RAs and Security that would warrant an increase in catching offenders. Rather, he feels that it is the students’ behavior has become more irresponsible.
“The bottom line is that until students take responsibility for their own choices and actions, the problem will never be truly addressed,” declares Reed.
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