The Presidential Leadership Academy is presenting their findings on high-risk college drinking to the leaders of State College this Wednesday, November 10. The meeting, which is an open event, will take place in room 304 of the State College Borough Building, 243 S. Allen St. at 7 p.m. State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham, borough manager Tom Fontaine, borough council president Ron Filippelli, and State College police chief Tom King will all be in attendance.

Some of the group’s research has already been made into policy at Penn State after the PLA members shared their research with Penn State faculty and administrators in April. Recommendations include improvements to Penn State’s alcohol-free programming initiatives, communication strategies for the university’s alcohol and student conduct policies, and recommendations for more stringent enforcement of alcohol law violations.

While I think enhancing Penn State’s image and doing what can be done to ameliorate the drinking culture at Penn State is good and necessary, the truth is it’s not a Penn State problem–it’s a nationwide, generational problem that won’t be solved by stricter penalties or informing students about the risks.

Even if high-risk drinking was solely a Penn State problem, these initiatives, while definitely helpful, are not the solution to the self-perpetuating prophecy that is the PSU party scene. Many students (note: many, not all) come to happy Valley because of the party reputation and look forward to carrying it on–and no amount of regulation or information is going to get in their way.

Do you think the PLA’s suggestions will help ameliorate the alcohol-related problems of Penn State?