Will Pinkel DWI Lead to More 8 a.m. Classes at MU?
It seems like such a bizarre correlation it doesn’t even merit discussion, but it may not be. From Janese Silvey of the Columbia Daily Tribune:
"Hours before one of his top officials was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, Chancellor Brady Deaton urged professors to help in the University of Missouri’s fight against student alcohol abuse.“The closer you get to it, you see the damaging effects of this,” he said during an afternoon faculty meeting at the MU Student Center. “It’s heartbreaking and truly a serious issue for higher education and” the university.Six hours later, at 10:15 p.m., Missouri head football Coach Gary Pinkel was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated."
Silvey also dropped what a major bombshell for MU students who are late risers.
"To curtail student alcohol problems, Deaton encouraged faculty to schedule more classes at 8 a.m. and on Fridays. That might make some groan, “but the reality is research will show these will significantly reduce alcohol abuse,” he said.Faculty members generally avoid early-morning classes because young adults aren’t fully awake yet, Bentley said. But he acknowledged not having many Friday classes has turned Thursday into a popular party night."
The issue is a complicated one to sort out. If significantly more students have 8 a.m. classes, expect dining halls to need to open earlier, as they open at 7:30 a.m. and could see a massive boost in pre-class breakfast traffic. Additionally, convincing teachers to want to schedule 8 a.m. classes is going to be difficult.
I reached out via Facebook to students at other universities for their response to the thought of 8 a.m. classes being a deterrent to drinking.
Mercer University sophomore Edgar Trejo said he doesn’t see an increase in 8 a.m. classes making a huge impact.
“Social drinkers who have their priorities right will stop the drinking a little early and get to bed,” Trejo said. “Those who are simply drinkers or social drinkers with bad priorities will miss class.”
Walsh University sophomore Vittoria Rice said students with alcohol problems will prioritize in favor of drinking when designing their schedules.
“If you’re an alcoholic you’re not going to take an 8am class.” “I lived with seniors last semester so i’m familiar with people drinking, but they never took early classes on purpose.”
Whether moving more classes’ starting time to 8 a.m. curbs student alcohol abuse or not, expect the university to push for more classes to start at that time, especially in light of Pinkel’s DWI.
MU moves swiftly in response to problems that could cast a negative light on the university. After a student wrote a racial epithet on the statue outside of Hatch Hall in February, the second hate crime to occur on MU’s campus in the course of one year, the university unveiled its “One Mizzou” diversity campaign. Students returning this semester immediately noticed “One Mizzou” flags hanging all over campus.
Expect a similar response to the potential PR fallout from Pinkel’s DWI. A class scheduling change designed to prevent alcohol abuse is the exact type of good publicity that will help the media forget about Pinkel’s arrest more quickly.
More Pinkel DWI coverage
Pinkel Issues Letter of Apology to Tiger Nation
BREAKING: Pinkel Receives Two Years’ Probation
Pinkel Officially Charged with DWI
FULL AUDIO of MU Press Conference Announcing Pinkel’s Suspension
BREAKING: Pinkel Suspended One Game Without Pay
Report: Pinkel to be Suspended Two Games
Clarifying Information of Pinkel Arrest