Alex Koroknay-Palicz, NYRA’s executive director, participated in the first national debate on lowering the drinking age on November 13, providing a powerful voice for youth. The debate, sponsored by the Amethyst Initiative, which has gained so much traction over the past few months in the fight to lower the drinking age, was moderated by Richard Berman, president of Manhattanville College. John McCardell, founder of Choose Responsibility and the Amethyst Initiative, and Adrian K. Lund, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, also participated in the debate, along with several other experts and authors.
Koroknay-Palicz’ arguments – that the drinking age of 21 is both ineffective and fundamentally unfair to our young people – were very well received by those present; Koroknay-Palicz says that everyone he spoke with after the debate was impressed by our side of the issue. Several members of NYRA’s New York City chapter attended the debate as well and recorded it, and Koroknay-Palicz and other NYRA members also had the opportunity to network with other panelists at the college president’s house afterwards. This first-in-the-nation debate on lowering the drinking age gave NYRA the opportunity to put our best foot forward and take a stand for youth on this issue, and we took full advantage of it. Read a news article about the debate here. Also watch video from the debate and download the panel’s powerpoint presentations here.
