A youth advocacy organization is recruiting D.C. college students in its campaign to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18. While flyers from the National Youth Rights Association have been posted around campus, GW students have yet to officially join the group's effort to change the nation's drinking laws.
Alex Koroknay-Palicz, the non-profit organization's president and executive director, said America's youth are unfairly denied the right to consume alcohol.
"When you are 18 to 20 years old you have to pay taxes and you can vote," he said. "We've got thousands of soldiers (who are under 21) in Iraq right now putting their lives on the line and they can't even have a beer."
The organization's American University chapter has set up information booths at the MCI Center, American's Bender Arena and several anti-war protests.
"We are always out (recruiting) at conferences, concerts and protests in order to get these issues out," said Koroknay-Palicz, an American graduate who started his school's chapter in 2000 to raise awareness about youth rights.
The group has also called on states to repeal curfew laws and lower the voting age.
"Right now it's a volunteer-run organization," Koroknay-Palicz said. "The most important thing students can do is to start a local chapter and to work on whatever issues they care about strongly."
Although GW does not have a chapter, many students expressed support for lowering the drinking age, and said it is an issue they cannot avoid because of drinking's widespread acceptance on campus.
"I personally think that it's kind of a culture in college and it's arbitrary to say that some students can drink and some can't," said first-year graduate student Bo Peery. "I think that they should either raise it to 23 or lower it to 18 so all undergraduates in college either can or can't drink."
The National Youth Rights Association has proposed that the United States adopt laws similar to those in France, Germany and Spain, where the drinking age is as low as 16.
Alex Koroknay-Palicz, the non-profit organization's president and executive director, said America's youth are unfairly denied the right to consume alcohol.
"When you are 18 to 20 years old you have to pay taxes and you can vote," he said. "We've got thousands of soldiers (who are under 21) in Iraq right now putting their lives on the line and they can't even have a beer."
The organization's American University chapter has set up information booths at the MCI Center, American's Bender Arena and several anti-war protests.
"We are always out (recruiting) at conferences, concerts and protests in order to get these issues out," said Koroknay-Palicz, an American graduate who started his school's chapter in 2000 to raise awareness about youth rights.
The group has also called on states to repeal curfew laws and lower the voting age.
"Right now it's a volunteer-run organization," Koroknay-Palicz said. "The most important thing students can do is to start a local chapter and to work on whatever issues they care about strongly."
Although GW does not have a chapter, many students expressed support for lowering the drinking age, and said it is an issue they cannot avoid because of drinking's widespread acceptance on campus.
"I personally think that it's kind of a culture in college and it's arbitrary to say that some students can drink and some can't," said first-year graduate student Bo Peery. "I think that they should either raise it to 23 or lower it to 18 so all undergraduates in college either can or can't drink."
The National Youth Rights Association has proposed that the United States adopt laws similar to those in France, Germany and Spain, where the drinking age is as low as 16.
