The University of Idaho and Boise State University are rivals in athletics, but the competition stops when it comes to the standards of being an Idaho university.
UI created two alcohol task forces in the wake of UI freshman Joseph Weiderrick’s death. He was found dead under a bridge in January while trying to return to his dorm after a fraternity party.
BSU Dean of Students Christian Wuthrich said when it comes to alcohol-related issues, some things aren’t foreseeable.
“The stuff that is foreseeable needs to be dealt with in a straightforward and transparent way,” Wuthrich said. “Students and campuses, for that matter, shouldn’t push off on the other to say that someone else has a responsibility or an obligation to keep students safe.”
BSU student Trevor Engman said in high school many people told him UI was a party school. He said his friends who attend UI do go to parties, but have also improved in their academics since high school.
“In light of the recent events, they’re very unfortunate, but my perception of the school hasn’t changed much,” Engman said. “Accidents happen. Those kind of accidents could happen at any university and at any party. Drinking can be dangerous.”
BSU geosciences major JJ Rasmeussen said education about drugs and alcohol in colleges should be enforced.
“We need more education on it (alcohol) to help wise-up the people to not drink so much,” Rasmeussen said.
According to the schools’ records, UI has a total of 12,493 students enrolled while BSU has 19,993. Although BSU has more students enrolled, it is considered a commuter school with older students. UI is Idaho’s rural land-grant university with the largest campus in the state.
When it comes to alcohol and drug violations, BSU has more alcohol and drug related arrests than UI. Both schools have similar alcohol policies, in which no alcoholic substances are allowed on facilities owned, leased or operated by UI and BSU — essentially not allowing alcohol on campus.
According to the UI Crime Statistics, in 2011, the school had 111 on-campus drug and liquor violations, down 10 percent since 2009. BSU’s statistics show that in 2011, 540 drug and liquor violations occurred, an increase of 160 percent since 2009 with 207 violations.
Wuthrich said the Boise Police Department operates on a grant for underage drinking and in 2012, they wrote 98 underage drinking citations at a local party house.
“That takes policing power, it takes people to enforce and it takes, my guess, the willingness of your city leaders to do that kind of thing,” Wuthrich said.
But Wuthrich said what’s tolerable in Boise, may not be tolerable in Twin Falls or Pocatello or Moscow or Coeur d’Alene.
“And so you have to kind of go with what works in your town and there has to be consensus behind that,” he said.
Moscow Rep. Cindy Agidius said education is the key to preventing these issues with alcohol on college campuses. She said all living groups should be aware of the dangers of binge drinking and develop ways to take care of each other.
“It might sound like babysitting, but when I lived on campus we had a rule: never leave your sorority sister behind in an impaired state,” Agidius said. “It could be much like the designated driver program, if you are planning to drink, do so responsibly and make sure someone gets you all home safely.”
Wuthrich said BSU is lucky to have an alcohol education front staffed by full-time employees and peer educators who help students learn more about the effects of alcohol and drug use.
“We not only speak of it from a health and safety perspective, but we also speak from recreation, from medical services, right down to the fact that making good choices keeps you in school,” Wuthrich said.
While UI’s task force is evaluating its relationship with the Greek system, Wuthrich said students who are thinking of joining Greek life need to know what they’re getting into when they join, and what the requirements and obligations are.
“On the flip side of that, chapters and organizations need to hold their members accountable and do the appropriate kinds of education that will seek to help the organization running on all of its cylinders,” Wuthrich said.
Wuthrich said the effectiveness of a Greek house depends on how well the organization is running.
“When they run well, they help students develop and when they don’t run well, then you have lots of problems and concerns to deal with,” Wuthrich said.
Agidius said administrators, faculty and students should try to develop an atmosphere that encourages students to take care of and watch out for each other.
“Develop an atmosphere where asking for help from advisers, the medical community or the police is OK,” Agidius said.
Wuthrich said his advice for UI’s alcohol task-force is to find something students, faculty and staff can agree on.
The Idaho State Board of Education is requiring all Idaho colleges to develop alcohol task forces to address their own issues. ISBOE Chief Communications Officer Marilyn Whitney said UI is ahead of the game with its alcohol task force.
“What they did was ask each of the institutions to set up their own task force and then to report back to the board on their findings and on their plans to address the issues,” Whitney said.
UI has two different task forces, one with student leaders and administrators and the other with Greek members.
“The other institutions and the other presidents could look to what the UI is doing as a potential model for what they might want to do as well,” Whitney said.
She said the presidents meet every month and the alcohol task forces will be on the agenda to discuss their findings.
“They obviously have to find mechanisms and policies that work for the campuses and that all of the parties can agree on that can be effective and to find a way to get that written up and passed in such a way that can be enforced,” Wuthrich said.
Wuthrich said colleges have to treat their campus communities like its own organism and organization, but a university has to find its own ways to make things work for that specific campus.
“You can borrow ideas and try out things and maybe that brings in five ideas and keep three and merge those three into one idea that’s your own,” Wuthrich said. “Whatever it is, it kind of has to rest in the community and the rest in the culture and of course, be agreed upon.”
Emily Johnson can be reached at [email protected]