david montgomery
rationally chosen words
The decision to add a second substance-free dorm at Grinnell has engendered a lot of talk on campus. This has usually, in my experience, revolved around the idea of a freedom-loving student body having their rights stripped away by moralistic administrators. I disagree with this characterization, and am going to take time away from my more usual current event subjects to weigh in. I hope this succeeds in offering a fresh perspective to campus debate.
I don’t drink. This is not a decision I’ve made because of some sort of religious dictum, nor is it related to a personal experience. I’ve got very firm reasons for my choice of lifestyle. What’s more, in my extremely unscientific opinion, I’m not alone in this choice. Drunkenness is usually a very public state, and is easily noticed. One doesn’t walk into Monday class and exclaim, “Man, I was so sober over the weekend!” Because drinking is so noticeable, those who chose to remain sober often are unnoticed. Not only are people who choose not to drink a minority, but they are a comparatively silent minority—not the most reassuring environment for that minority.
My purpose here is not to attack the majority of Grinnell students who enjoy alcohol, but to articulate a point of view that doesn’t get articulated enough. Like everyone, I firmly believe that my choice of lifestyle is intrinsically superior to everyone else’s, with regards to drinking, taste in music, academic interest and everything else under the sun. That feeling of moral superiority doesn’t give me the right to condemn other people’s choices, but I do have the right to explain my point of view.
The reason that I choose not to drink has to do with my own perception of my self-worth. Of all my various human traits, the most important to me are my intelligence and my self-control. I am a rational human being with the ability to choose what I do and what I don’t do. Alcohol and other mind-altering chemicals threaten who I am.
Because of my choice of lifestyle, I’ve achieved a sort of independence that I love. If I want to relax after a grueling week, I do so on my own terms, without the necessity for a foreign chemical to change my mental state. Whatever I do on Friday night, I do because I chose to in a competent state of mind. I’m not interested in escaping reality by drugging my brain into submission.
I could be the only person on campus who feels this way. That wouldn’t be all bad, because I’m naturally contrary and enjoy arguing. But I suspect that I’m not alone. There are others who want to live in an environment that doesn’t constantly imply their own aberrance.
That’s why I support more substance-free housing. I don’t know if I’ll try to live there next year, but I like the option. If I don’t, my lifestyle isn’t going to change because I live in close proximity to people with a different lifestyle. That’s because I’ve made up my mind about what kind of life I want to lead now. Of course, as opponents of substance-free housing often point out, college is a time for experimentation. Many people come to Grinnell open to new ways of living, and the influences they receive during their first year at college could shape their life. With the majority of students at Grinnell choosing to drink, role models for a different lifestyle are scattered throughout the campus. Substance-free housing sends a positive message to everyone who chooses to break the mold.
I do welcome the comments of everyone who feels strongly about what I’ve said here one way or another.
Arts | News | Opinion | Features | Sports | Archives | About Us