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A Message from Former Chancellor Gordon Gee
As many of you know, a simple syllogism indicates that since former Chancellor Gee is a Mormon, then former Chancellor Gee does not drink alcohol.
As part of my religious discipline, I have indeed never drunk alcohol. The codes of the Church of Latter-Day Saints prohibit me from imbibing, from smoking, from taking illegal drugs, even from ingesting caffeine - although those of you who have seen me with a can of Diet Dr Pepper(TM) in my grasp have probably figured me to be liberal in my interpretation of the last point! But we all have our weaknesses.
I know that the practice of abstention from alcohol separates me from most people who are not Latter-Day Saints as I am, or ascetics, or teetotalers by trade, or recovering alcoholics. This practice would also seem to put me at a disadvantage as a University Chancellor required occasionally to write and speak to undergraduates about the perils of the demon rum, since I cannot speak from common experience or a place of "having-been-there." I also begin at a disadvantage because my reader or hearer might assume that I presume a sense of superiority regarding this social facet. But I do not. I simply have a road that I travel that I have determined is the best road for me.
I have been asked to write in support of those who choose the same road.
I want you to know that although the rest of the world may seem trained on the supposition that every college student drinks, I am not. I know that there are quite a group of you out there who do not, an underrepresented group, of course, but you are there. I know that because I have been one of you, and because statistics reveal a much larger percentage of college-age non-drinkers than malt-beverage advertisements would have us believe in. So please know that if you do not drink, you are not alone. There are many of us who for reasons of faith or culture or reasons of health forgo what might seem a necessary social lubricant. I am outing myself as one of those. The only time I ever "Tie one on" is when I am suiting up in the morning.
A nondrinker frequently finds himself in an odd social position. I often have to look on while guests at receptions at Braeburn get mysteriously jollier and more loquacious as an evening passes. I have to generate my own jollity and search for my own words, which sometimes can feel out-of-joint with the general trend -- although I do always manage to have fun, which is somewhat of a requirement for me! I often have to refuse an offer of a drink when I am visiting with people who do not know me well and see their quizzical expressions as they wonder if they have somehow offended me. I quickly reassure them that they have not, but that fleeting instant of worry is ever awkward. Negotiating a chosen way of life that is different from what is assumed can be difficult and sometimes painful.
So I encourage all of you to be respectful of each other, in this case specifically as regards consumption of alcohol. Know that differences at a university are not just differences of origin. They are just as often differences of choice, as young people decide how they want to live their lives. A university sees a diversity of life-styles and a diversity of practices as students live out their ideas. Be respectful by not assuming. And be respectful by not judging someone else's habits simply because they differ from yours. Do not congratulate yourself on your own superiority, if you abstain. Do not judge nondrinkers for their infinite lack of - what's the current word? - coolness, if you imbibe. At Vanderbilt we work to create a world where all people can practice as they wish and feel welcome to do so.
For more information:
Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Prevention Programs
Station B 1508
Nashville TN 37235
(615) 343-4740
FAX (615) 343-3702
