Does lowering the drinking age even matter?

I started kindegarten when I was four years old, apparently I could read and my mom was eager to stop paying for full-day day care. My youth certainly didn’t matter in elementary school, or even middle school. I never thought the fact I was a year (or more) younger than most of my classmates was a big deal. And it wasn’t, until it came for years 15, 16, 18 and, last but not least, 21.

 

I often round my age up, even now. At least I’m not alone in that situation. In fact, I choose not to even really talk about how old I am. Why? Because 21 sounds young. And in the grand scheme of things, it is young. Which is why I have hard time supporting the argument to lower the legal drinking age to 18.

My attention was drawn to this argument when recent media coverage (CNN  and ABC) focused on the Amethyst Initiative, a group of chancellors and presidents of U.S. universities and colleges that believe the current legal drinking age is not working.

I initially disagreed. Maybe because it’s a moot point for those of us who are already 21. But also, 21 is a rite of passage. Didn’t we all have those older friends in college who imparted their wisdom on the right bars to go to and the best drinking games? Should the future generations of American universities be deprived on these potential mentors?

But, when it came down to it and I considered the arguments for and against lowering the drinking age (including those from a potential bar owner and college journalist, I don’t even think lowering the drinking age would even matter. After four years of firsthand college experience, I don’t think binge drinking will stop, or even really decline, if those 18 and above can legally drink. I see where the university presidents are coming from, lowering the drinking age will decrease the number of arrests and underage alcohol-related incidents that can tarnish a university’s image, but only because there will be a smaller pool of potential offenders.

 

Drinking responsibly isn’t really a question of age, or even accessibility, it’s one of maturity and responsibility, something anyone would be hard pressed to find in a college town on a Friday night regardless of the legal drinking age.

What do you think of lowering the drinking age? For or against?

-Rachel 

Labor Day — More Than a Day Off of Work

Today is Labor Day. It’s a day of barbecues, parades and rest. It’s also a well-deserved day off used to symbolize the end of summer. However, in realizing that I know nothing about the meaning of this federal holiday, I decided to do some research.

As with most online investigations, I found myself on Wikipedia. The website states that Labor Day, “originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create ‘a day off for the working citizens.’” However, there is some controversy over who originally proposed the holiday.

Labor Day didn’t become a federal holiday until 1894, but was celebrated throughout the 1880’s. Celebrations usually consisted of a parade that would show off the labor and trade organizations and honor workers. Political speeches are also common, especially during election years.

It is easy to forget the importance of such a holiday, considering its origin seems to far removed from our present lives and most people will probably use the time to party and get together with friends before the weather turns cold. However, take some time today to think about the significance of dedicating an official federal holiday to workers and labor organizations.

I imagine it was a very special event in the 1880’s, perhaps the first time some workers felt any appreciation at all. And of course, as a newly employed person, the holiday has come to mean more to me than ever before.

-Haley

A Sick Day for my Sanity

I started my job with a pro-rated total of 4.62 sick days. I waited two months before feeling comfortable (and sick) enough to finally use one. 

There’s something wonderfully beautiful about a sick day. Whether it’s the hours of lounging on the sofa, or the ability to watch “Price is Right” (although, let’s be honest Drew Carey doesn’t hold a candle to Bob Barker), the occasional sick day is necessary for your physical and mental health. For me, my sick day came not only as a time to recoup from a migraine, but also as a time for me to regroup on where I stand after two months on my job. The implications of the huge transition in my life were coming crashing down on me, leaving me with a not-so-cheery disposition.

About 20 million Americans have a mood disorder and about 40 million have an anxiety disorder. I can’t imagine spending 40 hours (or more) per week at a job cannot be helping to alleviate these health problems, or for that matter, what about spending 40 years with one company could do to a person. 

My parents have worked at their jobs for nearly 30 years, and after two months at my job, I have no idea how they’ve done it. I can’t shake the feeling of being trapped in a lifetime of work. But there’s hope in the fact that frequent job changes are more the norm these days and can actually make life more stable and fulfilling. 

After spending eight hours on a Tuesday at home instead of at a cubicle, I remembered that a lifetime of work isn’t all that’s in my life. Happiness can come in a lot of forms, like a hobby. Sometimes it takes being a breaking point, and taking a sick day, to really evaluate a situation.

-Rachel