Princeton Undergraduate Student Government

This article provides expanded infromation on the Alcohol Cards distributed to the mailboxes of all undergraduates at the beginning of this semester.

Relations between students, public safety and the Borough police are a constantly evolving dynamic that is driven in large part by issues of underage drinking. The main area of agreement between these different players is that student health and safety are of utmost importance, but there remains substantial disagreement as to how to achieve this. The result is a number of disparate attitudes and uncoordinated initiatives that can often work against one another.

The USG has identified this as one of the most important issues in student life, and we believe that as student representatives, our voice is one that should not go unnoticed on this issue. We recognize that high-risk drinking is a social norm in some circles at Princeton and on most college campuses, and we realize that effecting the necessary culture change is unrealistic in the short term. As such we have focused in the short term on making sure that high-risk drinkers make it to health services or to the hospital. We believe that students are generally responsible in helping intoxicated friends, but we want to make sure that in the borderline cases, students are not deterred from calling for help.

The main objectives of the USG's Alcohol Policy Working Group are to create a safe drinking environment on campus and promote responsible drinking behaviors in students, thereby decreasing high-risk drinking and the negative outcomes that can be and often are associated with it.  Our focus for much of the last semester has been on expanding the range of methods we use to address these issues by examining them on a community- and state-wide level on top of our on-campus initiatives.  We have begun to implement this strategy in two ways.

The new USG administration has hit the ground running, tackling the most pressing issues that face Princeton undergraduates today. From civic engagement to the P/D/F policy, the USG has been working hard to develop sustainable policy solutions that will better the overall undergraduate experience. Specialized USG Working Groups comprising three to five USG officers address issues in their domain through conducting research, meeting with University administration officials, and proposing final policy solutions. Read more to learn about the wide variety of currently active working groups.

To our fellow undergraduates:As members of the Princeton community, we share a common bond, a common identity that overrides our various affiliations with clubs, groups, and departments. As a student body five thousand strong, we define this great university.  At the same time, we have the power—and the obligation—to unite and create real change, wherever change is needed.As we have learned recently, this is especially important when it comes to the drinking culture at Princeton. We operate within a system that allows us a great deal of freedom, and we’re fortunate to have an administration that’s willing to work with us to shape an alcohol policy that accommodates the concerns of both the university and the student body. If we act irresponsibly, by condoning or— even worse— encouraging high-risk drinking, we create a ripple effect that endangers our fragile social structure. Therefore, we all must strive to maintain a system that is as fair and safe for the students as possible, protecting our rights while also discouraging dangerous drinking habits. The success of the alcohol policy, the eating clubs, and every aspect of our social lives at Princeton depends entirely on our own capability to demonstrate our willingness to cooperate, act responsibly, and be accountable for our actions.