ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 16, 1996 TAG: 9602160058
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG (AP)
SOURCE: GREG A. LOHR THE NEWS & ADVANCE
STUDENTS INTERESTED in an alcohol- and smoke-free lifestyle soon will have that opportunity on several Virginia campuses.
A growing number of young people who choose a healthy, alcohol-free lifestyle are transforming the picture of the stereotypical college student.
Colleges and universities are creating new, alternative residence halls geared toward physical, emotional and spiritual health.
``There's certainly a great deal of interest in wellness and nutrition,'' said Edward Spencer, director of residence and dining programs at Virginia Tech, where such a dorm will open this fall. ``It may be very appealing to people who have problems managing alcohol and drugs.''
Lynchburg College also plans to convert a house into a residence hall free of alcohol and smoking.
Recently approved by City Council and the Board of Zoning Appeals, the dorm would be one of several off-campus residences at the college. It would house up to seven students and is scheduled to open in fall 1996, said John Lewis, business manager at the college.
``What we're looking for are students interested in a healthier lifestyle,'' he said. ``We'll go through a selection process where students apply to live there and will be selected based on their application.''
Whether more and more students want a smoke-free environment, a quieter place to study or just a place to meet other health-conscious people, they're leaving behind dorms often filled with substance abuse, according to a 1993 study by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
The Council's survey of Virginia college students found alcohol to be the drug of choice, with 77 percent of the respondents reporting they drank during the month prior to the survey.
The study shows a variety of negative consequences resulting from drinking: 22 percent of students reported alcohol caused them to miss class; 42 percent reported memory lapses from heavy alcohol use; and 48 percent reported regretting some of their behavior while drinking.
Still, some officials worry that allowing students to remove themselves from traditional dorms may teach them to avoid problems rather than to solve them.
``We're teaching them that if you're having problems with your environment, run away and isolate yourself,'' Virginia Tech's Spencer said.
Aaron Ruehle, a licensed counselor with Bridges in Lynchburg, disagreed, citing the new dorms as an opportunity for students to focus on health and academics rather than ``beer and pretzels.''
``If they're out on campus, they're going to be faced with different options. And I'm not sure a person has to experience everything and everybody to become a good person,'' he said.
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