Stanford Limits Freshman Access to Alcohol

I was both tickled and saddened when I read the news in the Stanford Daily today: Stanford To Ban Alcohol At All-Freshman Dorm Events.

Seems reasonable to me, especially since almost all freshmen are way under 21 and therefore are not allowed to drink alcohol. Nonetheless, the move produced controversy:

Fortunately, the university simply reiterated its logically compelling position: Administrators counter that allowing drinking in freshman dormitories is illegal, detracts from efforts to create a safe and comfortable atmosphere and has failed to prevent serious alcohol-related incidents among freshmen in recent years.

Personally, I can’t believe this is even an issue. It just seems clear to me that the university is obligated to prevent illegal behavior….