To Drink or Not to Drink?

This debate has been going on since the days of Prohibition. Discussing the lowering the drinking age to 18 or keeping it at 21 seems to be on the mind of not only students but university presidents since the Amethyst Initiative was first organized by President John McCardell of Middlebury College in Vermont.

The statement as finally drafted does not, by design, prescribe a particular policy change. It does, however, state clearly the signatories' belief that 21 is not working as well as the public may think, that its unintended consequences are posing increasing risks to young people, and that it is time for a serious debate among our elected representatives about whether current public policies are in line with current realities.

Criticism has ensued from both sides, especially from MADD (Mother's Against Drunk Driving) with an estimated 25,000 lives having been saved ever since 21 has become the standard.

As students, we should consider both angles, how it affects us and what positives and negatives of either side. As citizens in the community, we should think how it will affect our community and our families. As young adults, are we responsible enough? Can our culture handle it? How does this affect our youth?

For more information: http://www.amethystinitiative.org/

No SAT? Financial Aid? Dean's List?

Who said you could change the Dean's List? Isn't the undergraduate bulletin our "Bible?" No more SAT, are we letting just ANYBODY in? Should I sell one of my kidneys to pay for Wake Forest? Where did these questions happen? Open communication, please?

While many of us were stuffing our faces with bbq at the North Campus food-fest, some of your fellow students attending the Student Forum on Strategic Planning. In attendance were President Nathan Hatch, Provost Jill Tiefenthaler, Admissions Director Martha Allman, Interim Dean Paul Ribisl, and SG President Jermyn Davis. Following the previous two forums, this forum addressed issues on the future of academic life for the student, the new SAT policy, financial aid, and dean's list requirements. Diving right into questions, SG President Davis asked about the overall goals of the Strategic Plan. More on the Strategic Plan can be found at:

http://groups.wfu.edu/planning/index.html

Some questions asked during the forum:

1) Why has the Dean's List been changed from 3.0 to 3.4? Isn't that a bit drastic? Can we not grandfather upper-classmen? Might affect us in the job market and graduate schools? Who came up with this crazy idea?

2)Increase in students? Increase in faculty? How does that balance?

3)Ok, what about this optional SAT? This might hurt us, right?

4)Whis is Wake so expensive?

5)Sustainability?

These questions and others were answered by the administrators in accordance with the Strategic Planning. So I urge you as the general student body to actively seek out answers, review the new changes, and make your voice heard.