The five presidents of the college and universities affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Inc. are united in their opposition to the Amethyst Initiative’s suggestion that the legal drinking age of 21 be reconsidered. The five presidents are: A. Frank Bonner, Gardner-Webb; Dan G. Lunsford, Mars Hill; Jerry E. McGee, Wingate: Jerry M. Wallace, Campbell; and M. Christopher White, Chowan.
Currently, 129 chancellors and presidents of public and private universities and colleges across the United States have signed their names to a public statement calling for public debate on the effectiveness of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. The signatories claim their experiences as campus leaders convince them the law is not working and it is encouraging students under the legal age to break the law.
“It is counterintuitive to think lowering the legal drinking age to 18 will have a positive effect and reduce the instances of alcohol abuse on campuses or within the larger community,” stated Jerry M. Wallace, president of Campbell University. “I am convinced lowering the legal age will lead to greater abuses.”
Dan G. Lunsford, president of Mars Hill College, declared, “One of the most serious crises facing our society is the abuse of alcohol. Rather than investing energy in lowering the legal age, colleges and universities should be calling for public debate on the creation and maintenance of effective educational programs that address this national issue.”
The campuses represented by these five presidents have longstanding policies prohibiting the possession and use of alcohol among their respective student bodies.