In the short essays The Battle of the Binge and Binge Drinking a Substitute for

Community of Learning, differing views are put forth as to the cause and effects of binge
drinking. Jack Hitt, in his essay, The Battle of the Binge, alludes to a feasible solution, while
overlooking possible negative effects. Kenneth A. Brufee writes in, Binge Drinking a Substitute
for Community of Learning, of a grand scheme to re-direct the vision of the American college
with collaborative learning, but states that this idea alone cannot solve the problem of college
binge drinking.
In the essay, The Battle of the Binge, Jack Hitt points out that a rise in binge drinking
among college students is an effect of America raising its legal drinking age to twenty-one
(341). Hitt goes on to explain that, in his college days, drinking among students was not only
acceptable, but an unspoken requirement (341). However, Hitt continues, that as an effect of the
legal drinking age being raised, the typical partygoer[would] hide in the woods[and]
guzzle a pint of bourbon (341). He also mentions students being disciplined and handed over to
the court system, but does not elaborate on this point (341-2).As a possible solution to the
problem of college binge drinking, without actually saying it, Hitt concludes, that, America
should lower the legal drinking age (342).
The feasibility of lowering the legal drinking age as a solution to college binge drinking,
in my opinion, would not have an immediate positive effect. Rather, I feel the opposite, meaning,
initially students would see the change as a free for all, and many of the negative effects Hitt
outlines would escalate. However, in the larger picture, lowering the legal drinking age, together
with directed education about the dangers of alcohol, has promise as a solution for college binge
drinking.
In Kenneth A. Bruffees, Binge Drinking as a Substitute for a Community of Learning,
Bruffee sheds light on a causal chain, wherein, new college students, feeling green, scared,
lonely, and small town (343), seek companionship in fraternities and sororities, where they are
introduced to binge drinking (343). By Bruffees initial quoting the Harvard School of Healths
findings, he has established a connection between being a member of fraternities and sororities,
and binge drinking. Bruffee also outlines effects of binge drinking as everything from poor
grades, [to] assault,[to even] death (343). As a possible solution, Bruffee describes at
length, the concept of collaborative learning, in which, the schools curriculum forces students
to interact. Bruffee continues that, this interaction has the potential for allowing new college
students an opportunity to make friends without having to join fraternities and sororities.
However, in his statement, that, collaborative learning alone [, cannot] empty out fraternity and
sorority houses (344), Bruffee makes clear that such curriculum changes alone cannot solve
binge drinking.
Bruffees grand vision of a classical campus, where students interact and share
knowledge, is, in my opinion, a long term win-win solution. To explain, whereas, lowering the
legal drink age could have widespread negative effects initially, the collaborative learning

solution put forth by Bruffee can only help. My reasoning behind this statement is, with colleges
nurturing student communication and interaction; students grow both as pupils and people.
Bruffee is clear to point out that this style of education environment cannot solve the problem of
college binge drinking alone, but with further studies and experimentation, I feel that the
collaborative learning approach has promise in helping to curb the college binge drinking
problem.
In my opinion, college binge drinking is a multi-faceted problem. For many new college
students, enrolling at universities is the first glimpse of real personal freedom and students
readily abuse it. For other students, drinking habits have already been established from high
school and are only compounded by the newfound freedoms of college. I also feel that most
essays and studies on binge drinking only focus on university students, and overlook junior
college students altogether. To elaborate, in my mind, most university students are on student
loans or parents are funding education, leaving the student with few responsibilities other than
education. These students contrast with junior college students that for the most part have jobs
and responsibilities besides school alone. The lack of outside responsibilities could definitely be
a contributing factor for college binge drinking; if a person has worked all day, then goes to
class for a couple of hours a night, then goes home to their family, where is the time for an allnight keg party? However, having never been enrolled at university, I cannot say whether amount
of outside responsibilities has an effect on student binge drinking or not, but I venture to say, yes.
To be honest, I do not see an easy solution to stop college binge drinking. In regards to
university students, modern culture has made it mandatory to party at college, and some students
pay dearly for this paradigm. On the other hand, the vast majority of junior college students do
not have fraternities and sororities, and most students enrolled at these colleges have outside
responsibilities, all inoculating these students from the college party days.
The bottom line is that young adults are either going to drink, or not. I believe the
problem has to do with upbringing, morals, and simple self-respect. If a young adult is taught
and guided that drinking alcohol (binge or not) is not good, then they will make conscience
decisions to avoid these problems.
The solution is in the parents hands before a student ever makes it to college.