Chris Adkins September 1st, 2008
Pledging - the process of becoming a member of a fraternity - is a big topic at Vanderbilt. Last week, however, a different kind of pledging was making the news here on campus. This one concerned an “Alcohol Abstinence Pledge,” drafted by Tony Brown, head of Hank Ingram House at the Commons. Dr. Brown presented this pledge during orientation week to the nearly 300 residents he oversees in Hank Ingram. When only about 1/3 of the students agreed to sign, Dr. Brown posted this satirical letter from “John B. Firstyear” in response. Essentially, Dr. Brown criticized - rather harshly, in my opinion - 200 of his residents for failing to sign the pledge. An excerpt from the letter:
As an 18 year old, it is important for me to fit in with the popular students at all costs. Everybody knows that underage drinking is rampant at Vanderbilt, and that it’s sexy and cool.
As you may have guessed, this letter stirred up some emotions on campus. The campus newspaper, the Vanderbilt Hustler, published an editorial soon after in which they asserted that “Brown’s passive-aggressive response is irresponsible.” They continue:
While Brown’s principled stance and desire to change the culture is admirable, his self-described sharp critique of what he perceives as a Vanderbilt culture hung up on binge drinking seems to undercut the voluntary spirit of the pledge. Should Brown use his position as a faculty head of house to speak out against underage drinking? Absolutely. But was it responsible to expect students to sign a voluntary pledge and then criticize and stereotype those who chose not do so? Probably not.
I find myself joining with the Hustler’s editors in criticizing Dr. Brown for potentially alienating a good portion of his residents right at the start of the year when it is he who is should be available for them to discuss just such issues. After this letter, it is hard to believe that a student struggling with the decision of whether to participate in drinking will feel that he can find worthwhile counsel in his Head of House.
Frank Wcislo, Dean of the Commons, responded to both Dr. Brown’s letter and the Hustler’s editorial. While he writes that, “I will admit that I would not have written the letter,” he also says that he does not disagree with the pledge or, it seems at a fundamental level, the letter. From the paragraph beginning with that sentence, Dean Wcislo presents a nuanced view of the conditions surrounding the pledge and the reaction to it. He later writes that, “Life in The Commons, and really at Vanderbilt, is much more complex than some drink, some don’t, some are greek, some aren’t.” I could not agree with him more.
I feel that many incoming students picture a bifurcated Vanderbilt: a Greek life and an independent life, a drinking life and an abstinent life. Like Dean Wcislo says, things just aren’t that simple. While there are certainly binge drinkers and teetotalers here, just as at nearly all other colleges, I’ve found that most people fall somewhere in the middle. Do freshmen drink? Sure, but not nearly all of them. Do people need to drink alcohol to have fun or to “fit in with the popular students” as Dr. Brown writes? No, I know plenty of people who chose not to drink and had just as much fun as anyone else.
Being a part of the Vanderbilt community entails accepting and respecting others’ choices, even if they clash with your own values. However, this does not mean that disagreement and constructive discussion have to be suppressed simply to maintain a veneer of pleasantry. Dr. Brown pushed these boundaries with his letter and, while I think he went too far, I am glad to see that it has sparked an honest discussion of this important issue for our campus.
