Crazy parties, binge drinking, and police visits – these are not the things you associate with the mix-gender suites on West Campus. However, a recent study by Visiting Prof. Brian Willoughby and Prof. Jason Carroll, Brigham Young University, has spurred a new wave of alcohol-related concerns.

The data, published in the November release of the Journal of American College Health, found that participation in binge drinking in coed dorms amounted to forty-eight percent of the students surveyed. The study was conducted across five colleges and the data was based on responses by over five hundred students.

“In a time when college administrators and counselors pay a lot of attention to alcohol-related problems on their campuses, this is a call to more fully examine the influence of housing environment on student behavior,” said Carroll.

While the impact of Cornell’s dorm composition on excessive alcohol consumption is unclear, there is a lot of external research in recent years about this topic.

One of these studies, by Assistant Prof. Jennifer Cross, Colorado State University, found that in addition to coed effects, “living in a hall with suites increased the situational motivation to drink alcohol.” Conversely, she also discusses the possibility that much of the current research is skewed because coed and building structure are independent factors and there is no academic agreement on which affects more or even how each affects drinking behavior.

Perhaps the hot-headedness of researchers and is more to blame on the inconclusiveness rather than rebellious eighteen-year-olds.

Associate Prof. Elizabeth Broughton, Eastern Michigan University, and Assistant Prof. William Molasso, Northern Illinois University, found that the proportion of drinking related articles in academic journals increased from 1.60% three decades ago, to 5.82% in the last decade. On top of that, out of the 206 researchers studied and the two journals surveyed, 90.78% of them authored or co-authored only once past 30 years, leaving only 1.94% contributing more than three articles.

Broughton agrees with Cross, that although there is no consistency in the sampling methods or term definitions of current studies, these articles have significant implications on the actions of student affairs practitioners.

A simple news search on Brian Willoughby will return results such as, “More Sex, Drinking in Coed Dorms: study,” and, “Students Drink More and More in Co-ed Housing.” These topics appeared in national sources – in this case, NBC Philadelphia and USAToday, respectfully.

Irresponsible journalism is driving the discussion in a biased direction.

To address the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, Cornell opted for a risk reduction strategy rather than punishment for offenders. Gannett provides Alcohol-wise, an online alcohol education course, to all incoming freshmen and adheres to a Medical Amnesty Protocol, which waives the judicial action following a drinking-related emergency.

Although recent data is lacking, the 2005 Core Institute Survey shows that undergraduate drinking has decreased from 77% in 2003 to 73% in 2005.

In light of Gannett’s efforts, Ithaca College is also considering a similar amnesty measure called the Good Samaritan policy. Student Government Association Pres., Jeff Goodwin is working with IC’s Student for a Sensible Drug Policy chapter to form a policy draft.

Regardless of which side one takes, people need to be aware of the misinformation in many studies and reevaluate their own predispositions before participating in the college drinking debate.