In response to last week’s article “Colgate’s Alcohol Tolerance”: I agree that the dichotomy between drinkers and nondrinkers on Colgate’s campus is unhealthy and should be addressed by the administration.

I agree that the alcohol-related hospitalizations of recent weeks are a serious concern. But adopting an alcohol “tolerance” policy is not the solution.

Colgate has already taken steps toward adopting a Good Samaritan policy to protect students who seek help when their friends are intoxicated. They have opened the Wellness Living House at 104 Broad, which maintains that alcohol can be part of a healthy lifestyle. I don’t see how much more “tolerant” they could be unless they let students party all they want without any consequences.

If Colgate were truly intolerant of students’ drinking habits, they would raid the Jug, cancel Spring Party Weekend and make all underclassmen dorms sub-free, as they legally should be.

If Colgate does not trust us to be responsible, it’s because we have time and time again proven that we can’t be trusted, as the recent hospitalizations have made painfully clear.

Which is worse: to have students complain that the administration is ruining their fun or to have multiple students admitted to the hospital because they stopped breathing? I’d much prefer Colgate err on the side of caution.

While there are certainly students who know how to drink responsibly, far too many don’t, and if the administration penalizes them, these students have only themselves to blame.

If we want to be treated like adults, we must act like adults. We must act responsibly and stop drinking to dangerous levels of intoxication, and then maybe the administration will “tolerate” us. Trust must be earned. Sorry, Colgate, but we haven’t earned it yet.