Alcohol considered a factor in student’s death

A 20-year-old Auburn University student was killed in a one-vehicle accident involving alcohol around 3 a.m. Wednesday, state police said, almost one month to the day before Auburn plans to implement a new underage drinking policy that aims to promote student safety.

Wesley Scott Bilbo, a junior in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, was killed when his Ford pick-up rolled onto its side, partially ejecting Bilbo, said Charlotte Patterson, the Lee County deputy coroner who responded to the scene.

The accident occurred on Lee Road 217, an eight-mile stretch of dirt road near the Lee-Macon county line.

A female passenger, Auburn junior Sara McPherson, was not seriously injured.

Alcohol containers were found in the vehicle, Patterson said.

“Yes, it (alcohol) was (involved). ... The young lady that was with him told us that he had been drinking,” Patterson said. “And there was alcohol in the vehicle.”

Debbie Maund, an Alabama State Troopers dispatcher, confirmed that alcohol was involved.

“(They were) just out riding, there’s no houses out there,” Patterson said. “We were so far out, I don’t think God knew where we were at.”

The new policy at AU aims to discourage risky behavior like drinking and driving by notifying parents when a student is caught in possession or under the influence of alcohol, Jim Hardin, judicial affairs director at AU, said.

“Safety is the bottom line,” Hardin said.

The new policy begins on Aug. 18, the first day of the fall semester. It will affect only students under the age of 21, Hardin said. Letters will be sent after the first offense.

“We view it as one more tool to make them think about engaging in risky behavior,” Hardin said.

Offenses can involve anything from incidents involving minors in possession of alcohol at Jordan-Hare Stadium to more risky behavior, Hardin said.

Normally, AU would not release an individual’s information without permission, Hardin said, but a change in the Family Education Rights Privilege Act in 1999, changed that stipulation for students under 21.

Hardin said the policy could violate the trust of some students, who are 18 or older and considered adults by law.

“That was one of the things we considered when looking at it. … We weighed the pros and cons,” he said. “The pro outweighed the cons in that situation.”

Most students are dependent on their parents, Hardin said, and many parents pay their child’s tuition and bills.

“We were aware of those considerations, but we felt in general that parents would want to know what is going on in the student’s life,” he said.

Some students disagree with Hardin, saying that the policy is an invasion of privacy and that it will not decrease incidents like the one that occurred Wednesday morning.

“Generally, I’m not a fan of parents hovering over children. … It is a way for the university to say you are still connected to your parents. It’s counter to growing up,” John Brasseale, a 20-year-old student from Madison, Ala., said.

Brasseale did not think that the new policy would have an effect on alcohol-related deaths and injuries.

“Kids are going to do this regardless. … It’s just another thing to tell the parents,” he said.

Lane Wilkerson, a 23-year-old graduate student, agreed the policy would have no effect on underage drinking or people’s decision to take part in risky behavior.
She said the policy could even be harmful.

“I don’t agree with it, because you never know a person’s relationship with their parents,” she said. An 18-year-old could be financially independent or estranged from his parents.

If parents are strict with students, that is the ultimate deterrent, Allison Bullington, a 21-year-old student, said. She thought the new policy could have positive impact.

“I guess it is a good policy because it will keep people safe. It depends on the parents,” she said.