The Exponent - columns


04-21-2005	Previous edition: 04-20-2005

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Responsible fun ends semester safely

Spring at Purdue seems to pass more quickly each year. It seems just a few days ago we were coping with winter. Now we are on the brink of the last event-filled weekend of the year and only about a week from the end of classes. Another academic year is ending. Most students are making summer plans, and those who will be graduating in May are making career and life decisions.

For someone like me, who has spent his entire adult life on university campuses, this is a deeply satisfying time. Each year, I get to see the hopes and dreams of thousands of students and their families move to a new level or come to fruition with the awarding of degrees. This transition always fills me with pride.

I also am very proud with the way Purdue students have learned to deal with the tradition of spring celebration on campus. In 1998, the idea of Purdue Grand Alternative was born when Steve Cain, campus minister of the Wesley Foundation, formed a communitywide coalition of student groups to celebrate Purdue’s Grand Prix safely and without alcohol. Grand Alternative was born officially the next year. This year dozens of student groups have organized more than 50 events as part of Grand Alternative, which now is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Students with support from the Wesley Foundation, Recreational Sports and the Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Tippecanoe County.

I am grateful to Steve Cain for his wonderful idea and his positive action. I am even more grateful to the students who have recognized that there are ways to celebrate that are safe, healthy and alcohol-free. Purdue student leaders have shown great creativity in devising ways to celebrate the end of the school year and to responsibly unwind before final exams.

Events that include athletics, music, art, food, dancing and all forms of entertainment are available for anyone who wants to participate, and each year the choices expand.

The Grand Prix race on Saturday is a tradition that takes a lot of effort and organizational skills. It is an opportunity for fun, but it also will raise money for scholarships, and that’s something else of which we can be proud.

I know not all Purdue students and others who visit the campus will make the best decisions this weekend, but I’m confident the vast majority want to have fun responsibly. I hope we can count on that majority to speak up if they see someone heading toward trouble.

Making the wrong choices can have devastating consequences for young lives.

They can upset final exam week and summer plans, lead to injury and even derail a college career.

Immature conduct impacts, the individual reputations of the people involved, the image of fellow students and even our alumni. Every individual’s conduct can have an impact on the entire University.

I hope we all will have fun this weekend, but I urge you to celebrate sensibly. Everything you do reflects Purdue.

To students who soon will receive degrees, I offer my congratulations and sincere best wishes for continued success in life. To those who will return to campus, have a great summer. I look forward to starting another memorable year in the fall.

Thanks for being part of the Purdue family!

Martin Jischke is the president of Purdue.

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