A non-profit organization called Choose Responsibility has approached Iowa State’s president of the Government of the Student Body, along with many other university student body presidents, asking them to sign a petition urging lawmakers to lower the drinking age.

Vice President Chandra Peterson, junior in political science, said she had heard of the initiative previously.

The initiative would allow young adults to purchase alcohol when they turn 18. They would be required to complete classes and certifications, which would allow them to get a license similar to a driver’s license that could be revoked, Peterson said.

Jon Turk, GSB president and senior in political science, said he is not too familiar with the campaign, but has had several discussions with other elected student body officials on social issues and a handful of them dealt with alcohol use.

The University of Missouri-Columbia has gone to dry tailgating, which Turk said some students are upset about.

Turk said the Amethyst Initiative is similar to the Choose Responsibility campaign.

The Amethyst Initiative was a campaign launched in 2008 that called upon college presidents to sign a petition to lower the drinking age to 18. ISU President Gregory Geoffroy did not sign the petition.

“I personally don’t know how I feel about GSB signing a petition; we need to find student’s opinions,” Peterson said.

Mark Lenhardt, off-campus senator and junior in political science, said this probably wouldn’t be a bad thing for the senate to discuss.

Lenhardt said he does not see the petition going anywhere since so much has been done to get the drinking age set to 21.

Lenhardt also addressed worries of how this could affect Iowa State if the petition were to influence lawmakers.

“It would probably bring out a lot of underage drinking, a lot more binge drinking and drinking of alcohol in general if it were to change,” Lenhardt said.

Peterson said she thought ISU students were fairly well behaved and responsible at tailgates. She also said she thinks Iowa State has a good police force.

Peterson said she does not hear a lot about riots or students being so drunk they have to go to the hospital but notices people having a good time.

Peterson also voiced her opinion on making 18- to 21-year-olds carry an alcohol license.

“Age doesn’t play as big of a factor as some people may think,” Peterson said. “I feel like there are plenty of 18-year-olds who are mature enough to have a glass of wine with their dinner, but there are 32-year-olds who abuse the privilege.”

Peterson said that 30-year-olds should have to suffer the consequences of irresponsibility as well.

“Public intoxication is not as big of an offense as a drinking and driving offense, so maybe their license could be revoked for one month instead of six,” Peterson said.

Even though this is a petition the GSB president could potentially sign, Turk said the senate’s resolutions theoretically speak on behalf of the student body and in the end this will be the senate’s prerogative.