Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to 18? About 100 university and college presidents think so and they've signed a petition. They say current laws encourage binge drinking on campus.

The petition these college presidents have signed is called the Amethyst Initiative. In Greek "amethyst" refers to moderation or drinking responsibly.

The petition started over a year ago. It's designed to spark more debate about the drinking age; particularly, the problem with binge drinking.

At age 18 in the U.S., you're old enough to vote, go to war and serve on a jury, but you're not old enough to drink alcohol. The college presidents are asking lawmakers to re-consider lowering the drinking age.

So far, just two Indiana colleges have signed the petition, Hanover College and Butler University.

"It's not a matter of looking for a change in law, it's calling for a conversation,” says Dr. Bobby Fong, President of Indiana’s Butler University.

Dr. Fong believes lowering the drinking age might help curb alcohol abuse. "What that means is there's an underground culture of drinking that begins in junior high school, where students are going to drink in many ways irresponsibly – ‘front loading’ before they get to parties, binge drinking at parties."

On the Notre Dame campus, nearly everyone we talked to has something to say on the drinking age debate.

"I think it would be a mistake, because students are immature drinkers at age 21," says Doug Bradley, who opposes lowering the drinking age.

"I don't think it'll curb binge drinking. I think binge drinking is a problem at any age. I know 30 year olds that binge drink," says Jason Bader, a graduate student who opposes lowering the drinking age.

One graduate student from Canada, where the legal drinking age is 19, doesn't see a problem with lowering it here in the U.S. "I think if you start earlier, you'll be a lot more responsible,” says Bryan Cassone of Toronto.

NewsCenter 16 also talked with a local MADD volunteer on the phone today. He opposes lowering the drinking age. Steve Mason says he thinks it will lead to more binge drinking and drunk driving.

To see a full list of all the college presidents who've signed the Amethyst Initiative petition, click on the link below.