Ad unveiling waste of time

“If you don’t know who shot JR, prepare to be carded.”

This and other ’80s… “If you don’t know who shot JR, prepare to be carded.”

This and other ’80s pop-culture-referencing signs will greet liquor store customers as part of a new ad campaign unveiled Wednesday aimed to discourage underage drinking. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and Jay Costa, a state senator and Pitt trustee, joined The Century Council, a not-for-profit organization funded by “America’s leading distillers,” in Wednesday’s events held outside the Atwood Street liquor store.

In the shadow of the Cathedral of Learning, Nordenberg told onlookers about the dangers of drinking, especially for underage drinkers. He added that the University “is pleased to join the [PLCB] in supporting this new effort to prevent underage drinking.”

While the problem of underage drinking is certainly a substantial one on college campuses, Nordenberg’s presence at Wednesday’s unveiling only played into his image as a public face only available to make short speeches, smile and shake hands with city and state officials.

Several aspects of the appearance should play into students’ concerns. First, events like these seem to be the only time students can catch a glimpse of the chancellor. For many students, the chancellor speaks to them twice during their Pitt careers — once at Freshman Convocation, and again at graduation.

On March 18, Nordenberg also made it clear that he won’t make time for students. At the University Senate Spring Plenary Session, Neil Bhaerman, a member of Students in Solidarity, asked the chancellor to meet with his group regarding the living wage campaign. The chancellor feebly declined twice, responding with “we’ll see.”

Students’ tuition pays the chancellor’s salary. We expect the chancellor to do more of substance than smile and support anti-underage drinking ad campaigns.

Especially, considering the efficacy of such campaigns. Certainly, cutesy signs hung in liquor stores are unlikely to affect Pitt students who have designs on drinking underage. Attitudes toward alcohol and the legal drinking age are formed long before college. Furthermore, most students drinking underage are not likely to be obtaining alcohol at the liquor store, since the state stores swipe IDs.

Instead, any effective campaign must target the bars, restaurants and friends offering alcohol to underage drinkers. College students will only be deterred from underage drinking if they are convinced that the ramifications of violating the law and risking their health outweigh the potential benefits of drinking.

Rather than promoting an ad campaign unlikely to deter underage drinkers, Nordenberg’s time would be better spent promoting Student Affairs’ and freshman studies departments’ efforts to educate students about the risks involved.