If you attend the College of Charleston, odds are you are aware of all the controversy surrounding campus right now. And if you are a freshman and/or new member in a sorority or fraternity, then your first impression of CofC and Greek Life in general is probably not so positive.

As a new member of Greek life, I have had (for the most part) a pretty positive experience with my sorority. I feel like it has been the perfect stepping stone for meeting some quality friends and getting more involved on campus. However, there are some obvious issues with Greek life (and college life in general) that need to be addressed. It is disheartening to hear about some things happening on my campus within the first few weeks of being here. That being said, I am glad my school is actually trying to aid the ongoing problem of sexual assault and binge drinking on college campuses.

I think this ban is ultimately going to be ineffective. Alcohol education courses are something I can fully support since most college freshmen leave high school and go buck-wild, not knowing their limits or how to drink. Bystander intervention training and other sexual assault awareness courses are also something I think that's necessary for not just Greek students but all students. College kids drink. It's a fact that the school should not be ignorant of. Students are still going to drink, only now it's going to be in secret which is far more dangerous than having an open conversation about it. If a student were to drink too much at a party they are going to be less likely to call Public Safety or any other on-campus resources for help. No one wants to be the person who prolongs the alcohol ban. In addition, banning alcohol puts the blame for misconduct, such as sexual assault, on beverages rather than the person who failed to behave like a decent human being.

No matter what happens, let's resolve to continue the dialogue about alcohol because -- ban or no ban -- alcohol is here to stay.