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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
The Observer

Sponsor an alcohol practicum

I would like to add to Bill Nolan's Apr. 11 response ("Alcohol in the 'Real World'") to Ryan Slaney ("Alcohol: Enemy of academic and moral development," Apr. 10) concerning Notre Dame alcohol policy. I agree that outlawing alcohol on campus would be a serious mistake for students to develop as balanced, responsible human beings. The University should take an active role in making sure its students can swim socially after they leave. My main concern comes from outside the bubble.At a recent medical school interview, I sat through a 10-minute rant about how Notre Dame students do not understand the real world when they get into it because they "live in a fantasy land." My interviewer firmly believes that Notre Dame students are not immediately ready for reality after graduation because they have not experienced it in at least four years. The fact is that there is alcohol in the real world and it is a scary proposition that Notre Dame students might have to figure out alcohol moderation once they leave.A better suggestion than outlawing alcohol: Notre Dame should sponsor a series of student-run events that focus on alcohol culture for its other ingredients. Wine-tastings. A history of beer with free samples. What is in a martini? What are acceptable drinks in the business world? What message do I send my boss when I order a "sex on the beach?" Those experienced in these areas can show us how to be social in the real world and be realistic. Alcohol is a social force in our culture and it would be a shame if Notre Dame did not acknowledge graduates' inevitable interaction with, you know, everybody else.

Tim LuebbertseniorDillon HallApr. 12