From the Inbox

Allen Merten, President of GMU, sent around an email today aimed (it seems) at new students. From the second paragraph:

Many students come to college with preconceived notions of what college is like--some are accurate, some are not. Though common on many campuses, alcohol abuse is not a significant part of campus life at George Mason University. One of the most important decisions you can make is to join the vast majority of people who do not abuse alcohol or drugs. For the minority of students who abuse alcohol (including underage drinking) and illicit drugs, the official university policy will be vigorously enforced, along with state alcohol and drug laws. The on-campus use of illicit drugs or the abuse of alcohol will not be condoned merely as a “college rite of passage.” Noise, vandalism, property damage and assault resulting from alcohol or drug abuse will not be tolerated on Mason's campuses.

I couldn't help but wonder how the line between use and abuse of alcohol was drawn (and by whom). Shoot, I wondered what the line was! So I looked it up. Aside from underage drinking and vandalism, the closest thing I found to defining the level of alcohol consumption (abuse) that warrants punishment is this:

All cases involving severely intoxicated students and/or police or emergency medical responses will be referred to the University Judicial Administrator for disciplinary action. The University Judicial Administrator may mandate an evaluation by the Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Health Education, or an outside agency.

Severely intoxicated. That is the rule. Crystal clear. Thanks.

I guess it is left up to those enforcing the rules to decide in each particular instance where sufficiently intoxicated ends and severely intoxicated begins. I hope this uncertainty doesn't stop anyone from consuming alcohol all together. That could be costly.