Students drink less than expected, according to online survey

Augustana students overestimated their peers' actual use of alcohol during an average school week, according to an online survey.

Specifically, students' responses to the "Core Alcohol and Drug Survey" show they believe that 82 percent of their classmates use alcohol at least once a week. However, just 34 percent of students reported using alcohol one or more times per week. Forty percent of students completed the survey.

Senior Ryan Becker estimated that between 30 and 50 percent of students use alcohol once a week. The 22-year-old rarely drinks and thinks that alcohol consumption is "probably not a lot different" when comparing Augustana with other South Dakota colleges and universities.

However, in Nov. 2005, survey data of 2,800 students from five South Dakota colleges and universities (Augustana, University of Sioux Falls, University of South Dakota, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Western Dakota Tech) was collectively published, but the percentages were not matched with the names of the schools. This survey found that 86 percent of students at Augustana reported alcohol consumption in the past year. This number has decreased to 78 percent since 2007.

Nearly 45 percent of Augustana students indicated binge drinking in the previous two weeks, which was a lower percentage than the other four schools, according to Dean of Students Jim Bies. In 2007 and 2009, this number has been consistently below 40 percent.
For senior Becky Nelson, drinking is not a competition—it is a social event.

"If I do drink, it is in a social atmosphere, such as at dinner or with smaller groups of friends," Nelson said. "I enjoy the company more than anything."

According to the survey, 77 percent of students believe that alcohol gives them something to do.

Freshman Leah Hansen disagrees with that sentiment.

"In my group of friends, we just hang out and enjoy each other's company," Hansen said. "We don't need an alcoholic substance to enjoy ourselves."

Administered by the Core Institute, the survey is conducted every other year to learn more about students' alcohol and drug use, Bies said.

"It's designed to assess each individual campus that participates, and it does so by exploring student's values, perceptions, and actions," Bies said. "The results [of the survey] inform the college and the Alcohol Advisory Committee Council about the opportunities to promote programs and emphasize opportunities for students to be safe."

As a music education major, Becker spends most of his time practicing and going to rehearsal and thinks that spending money on alcohol and risky drinking habits are not worth the short-term fun.

"Students are paying a lot of money to come here," Becker said. "It's hard on their economic status to put off their education. I just don't see the point. I'd rather waste my money on something more tangible."

For senior Phil Mulder, alcohol abuse is less about wasting money and more about maturing as a person.

"Liquid courage is no replacement for the genuine courage gained when one realizes that they can lower their inhibitions without alcohol and talk to anyone freely, without a fear of looking like a fool," Mulder said.

Bies reported that the college frequently reviews its alcohol policy.

"We rely on survey data to see if the current policy is effective in the direction we're going," Bies said.