When arriving in college, students are put in
an entirely new environment and are faced with many important decisions. One
of these decisions involves how and with whom a student chooses to socialize. Here
at Duke, you can meet plenty of people interested in doing the same things that you are.
Regardless of your social choices, it is likely at some point in your social life you will come into contact with Greeks
(members of fraternities and sororities), athletes, or alcohol (often in some combination).
Because drinking is a major component to the college social scene, it is important to recognize both the drinking habits
of different groups on campus, and the harmful effects of drinking on college students.
Two groups that are commonly
associated with both heavy partying and heavy drinking are Greeks and athletes. A
study conducted by Dr Phillip W. Meilman, Jami S. Leichliter, and Dr. Cheryl A. Presley (2002) at 125 colleges and universities,
compares the drinking patterns of students within these groups with the rest of the student body. It may not surprise you to learn ‘Greek Jocks’ (students involved in both the Greek system
and athletics) consume the most alcohol, and regular students drink the leas. However, the study does offer new insights into
the difference in the drinking habits of students who are solely Greeks (and not athletes) versus ‘Jocks’ (athletes
who are not Greeks). In fact, Greeks, who are not athletes, are significantly
heavier drinkers than their non-Greek, athletic peers.
Specifically, the study measures the students’
weekly consumption of alcohol, their incidents of binge drinking, and eight common consequences of heavy drinking (see Table
1). For all data collected, there
was a clear ordering of the four different student groups. In other words, Greek
Jocks drink the most weekly, binge drink most often, and suffer each of the eight consequences more than the other student
groups. Next highest in every categories
were the Greeks. Across the board, Greeks rated as heavier drinkers than their
Jock peers. The lightest drinkers were regular students. These results suggest that this clear delinieation of student groups exists on college and university campuses.
In addition to identifying these patterns, the
scientists also inquired as to the reason for the Greeks and athletes heavy drinking patterns and if there was an identifiable
reason these two groups are involved in excessive drinking. They cite a 1986
study by Brennan and colleagues that “students who participated in traditional college social activities drank more
alcohol and more frequently than their less-involved fellow students”. This
would support the theory that the ‘traditional’ college social groups of Greeks and athletes are heavier drinkers,
and that one’s social group can be a major factor in one’s alcohol consumption.
It is
well known that excessive drinking is harmful, especially in college, and these groups of students are damaging their bodies
the most. Also, there are harmful secondary effects of heavy drinking, such as
vandalism, engaging in unprotected sex, or assault. In fact, one study determined
that people living within one mile of college campuses are twice as likely as those who live farther away to suffer disturbances
as a result of binge drinking students (Wechsler et al., 2002).
To combat
these drinking patterns, Meilman and colleagues suggest enhancing the substance abuse programs already in place by the NCAA
and other college programs that deal with Greek organizations. The NCAA, for
example, provides schools with resources to “assist them in educating student-athletes and
creating and maintaining an environment that promotes healthy choices about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use” (NCAA
website, 2003).
For the first-year student, the college social
scene can seem daunting. With the vast amount of people and options for socializing,
a freshman can easy feel overwhelmed. In order to “fit in,” many
students compromise their health and make decisions they would otherwise never make, especially with regards to drinking. Irregardless of how you choose to socialize during your freshman year, it is almost
certain you will encounter drinking at some point. In order to give yourself
the best chance of making a wise decision, it is important that you have some understanding of what you’re getting yourself
into when you choose the parties you’re going to attend, and the student who will be there. By considering the information about Greeks and Jocks, two prominent social groups on campus, you will
be better prepared to survive your freshman year, and do you what you think is best for yourself.
Literature Cited:
National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education Programs and Grants. <http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/ed_outreach/health-safety/drug_ed_progs/index> [accessed 2003 November 15]
Wechsler H, Lee JE, Hall J,
Wagenaar AC, Lee H. 2002. Secondhand Effects of Student Alcohol Use Reported by Neighbors of Colleges: The Role of Alcohol
Outlets. Social Science and Medicine. 55(3): 425-435.