LETTERS
Alcohol on campus

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This is the third time I've written to request that the Magazine publish an article about University problems of adult alcoholism (including faculty), which usually begin with "social drinking" in academic groups. A color cover photograph of a corpse of a DWI Chicago student's victim, or perhaps a less gruesome equivalent-a flower-bedecked grave of such a victim-would be an appropriate introduction.

As a start, the article could keynote statistics on U of C students involved in alcohol-related crimes in a recent year, which may have been included in the national totals recently reported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. If Chicago was not included in the study, or statistics are not available from the original source, then figures from local sources should be compiled and published. The NIAA report on alcohol abuse among the nation's 8 million college students cited excessive drinking as the cause of 1,400 deaths annually, as well as 500,000 injuries, 630,000 assaults, and 71,000 date rapes and sexual assaults.

Hopefully, U of C numbers are below average, but that would be no excuse for denial. However, from the first cartoon "balloon" in "Chicagophile" (April/02), which reads "The top three men win bar parties (two-hour open bars) for their groups," it appears that student alcohol abuse probably hasn't changed much since my U of C years.

By copy of this letter I am asking President Randel to provide funds for obtaining and publishing the information I have requested above and previously to reduce future alcoholism. Printing the 2002 annual report in black and white on copier paper would save enough money to cover the cost of complying with my request-and be environmentally correct.

Zane Spiegel, SB'49, SM'52
Santa Fe, New Mexico

The "bar parties" offered as prizes in the Mr. University contest, like all campus social events, included nonalcoholic offerings. The University's drug and alcohol policies can be found online. -Ed.

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