These days it seems binge drinking has become just another part of the college experience.

"You get to campus and it's like you're put in this whole new environment, everyone's getting so drunk," MSU Senior Matt Doyle said.

An epidemic, some say, which is why about a hundred presidents from across the country are are taking a stand... asking lawmakers to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18.

"Eighteen, 19 and 20-year-olds need to act like adults and we need to start treating them as adults," The Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee said.

The Amethyst Initiative --- started about a year ago -- was meant to spark debate.

The idea? Lower the drinking age and suddenly it's less attractive for students to binge on alcohol.

"I think they would be less likely to drink," Freshman Jason Lintjer said.

"I think people are going to drink anyways, drinking happens in college," Alum Erin Brooks said.

MSU's president Lou Anna K Simon did not sign the initiative. The university said they're focus is on education.

"We have a very aggressive education and prevention program," Dennis Martel said.

Martel, director of MSU Health Education, said it's not so much about age, but about activity.

"Instead of focusing on consumption and necessarily stopping people from drinking underage, we focus on high risk behaviors and activities," Martel said.

MADD is against the initiative saying lowering the drinking age will only increase the number of drunk driving accidents.

Captain Kim Johnson of the East Lansing Police Department has to agree.

"Having alcohol at 18 to 20-years-old would only increase our workload," Johnson said.

Clearly this debate will continue far beyond the start of classes.