As students of the prestigious University of Virginia, we are intelligent, critical thinkers and extremely hard workers. We push ourselves in school and participate in numerous organizations. But we’re still in college. “Work hard, play hard,” right? People drink. Students under 21 drink. To be fair, not all students drink, but it must be acknowledged that a considerable amount do.
Society has made it so that, as college students, we live in an awkward tension between the drunk-college-kid stereotype and the expectation, by law, that those under 21 years of age do not drink. Here is a conflict between being an honorable student at the University and wanting to go out for drinks on the Corner.
This position that underage college students find themselves in may complicate the comfort levels of doing the right thing, and getting help when help is needed. In this difficult time for the community, the University has seen an increase in the call for action when one sees something, or sees someone in need.
There is no simple way to solve this problem, as it is engrained in society. I reached out to the University of Virginia Police Department for some clarity on the issue. Michael Coleman, Support Services Captain for the Department, informed me that if an underage student calls 911 about another underage student who has been drinking, “for most normal situations, neither the caller nor the other student would get in trouble with the University Police. Generally, in such situations, the rescue squad is called to evaluate the problem and the person may be transported to the emergency room.”
If you don’t have access to a phone, utilize the blue lights on Grounds and around the Corner. Capt. Coleman says, “essentially, your call will end up in the same place no matter which means you choose to contact the police or rescue squad. When you call on the blue light telephones (on Grounds), the call comes into the office of the University Police Department and our clerk will transfer your call to the 911 Center.”
Even though underage college students are placed in an uncomfortable position, it is something that, as members of the UVa community, must be negotiated. Capt. Colemen reinforces, “in keeping with the philosophy of the University, I think that it is clear that students are expected to look out for other students. This may mean staying with a friend at a party, or reporting suspicious persons, or getting help for a fellow student whose life or health might be in danger. Ethically, students must look out for other students.”