Tommy Sowers Will Fight... For Your Right... To Have Keg Parties?

An article from the Duke University Alumni Magazine sheds some light on Tommy Sowers' activist origins. Facing an epidemic of binge drinking (in the 1994-1995 school year, 52 students were hospitalized), Duke University implemented more stringent policies on alcohol. The policies were successful: they dropped the number of alcohol related emergency room visits by more than 50% in just a few years.

To a young party boy Tommy Sowers, that was simply unacceptable.

He complained that "When I first came here, you could go to five different parties." He went on to criticize more stringent rules against giving alcohol to minors, which he considered an unfair burden on party-goers.

The article continued: "Sowers is spearheading an effort to persuade FIPG to rethink its rules regarding distribution and allow Duke fraternities to have keg parties again." 

Depending on the size, a keg can have as much as 165 cans worth of beer. A responsible amount, some would say.

A staff psychologist gives perhaps a more cogent evaluation: "Alcohol is a major factor in many psychological and social problems" such as "unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, violent acts, depression, and poor academic performance." And that's not to mention the effects on the campus: "broken bottles, garbage, and litter strewn about the quads, and toilets backed up with vomit."

Suffice to say, college binge drinking is still a huge problem on campuses across the country. And it would be a bigger problem if young activists like Tommy Sowers had their way.

Tommy Sowers' Congressional campaign makes us wonder how far he has really come since his keg party activism - he certainly hasn't steered clear at alcohol, making it the central focus of at least one event.

Comments

[Matt]

More beer? Got my vote!!

[George]

Well if the younger days of a candidate are going to become an issue in this campaign, let's look and see what Jo Ann Emerson was doing as a child in Southeast Missouri. Oh that's right.

[Robert Diamond]

This is the dumbest thing I have ever read. Cutting edge journalism from "The Source"....not.

[Franklin R. Jones]

So this was the first and only public office Tommy has ever held. Interesting.

[cc]

Who's the douche that route this? You just switched me to voting Dem. Nice job.