CONTRARY to that infamous portrayal of college life, "Animal House," not all students drink - gasp. However, if you don't you will forever be labeled as no fun and ostracized from all University social life. And on the other hand if you do choose to imbibe, especially underage, you are going to hell, with stops at the hospital and jail along the way.
The good news is that University life is not quite as dichotomous as "Saved by the Bell." And while "Animal House" did have a documentary-like style to it, it doesn't particularly evoke University life.
At a standard Rugby Road party, probably 5 percent of attendees are dead sober, 85 percent are somewhere between able to drive and tipsy, and whoever is left is dead drunk (you do the math, it's hard for me to think when I'm on my third tequila shot).
Plenty of students never drink. You don't have to, if you don't want to. Really. Most students do drink socially, using alcohol to subsidize fun, not create it. Fraternity parties rarely are the massive drunken orgies we all know/hope/fear they have the potential to become. This means that if you're sober you will not be a conspicuous freak, and if you're trashed (and loud and proud about it), you probably will.
Arrival on Grounds will inspire a good many of those who never drank in high school to start (and zero-to-one people who did drink in high school to stop). However, even if you partied hard in high school, your drinking style inevitably will change here.
The new social freedom of living away from parents is staggering. No more taking off your shoes before sneaking into the house, popping Altoids before facing your parents, no retribution for not sleeping at home. Newsflash: Your new "mom" doesn't care and can't punish you. Your RA's jurisdiction extends only as far as prohibiting alcohol consumption in the dorms. In fact, my RA's best quality was her willingness to hold a suitemate's hair back while she hugged the Tuttle bathroom toilet.
Thus, many first years misconceive that removal from parents is tantamount to removal from accountability. No babysitter only means that the restraints on drinking behavior are less tangible and more easily broken. We all are still accountable - but to ourselves.
In those first months away from home, it's easy for first years to get a little freedom-happy, which means party-happy, alcohol-happy, etc. And while it's tempting to run into a party screaming, "Whoo-hoo! College, baby, college!," don't.
A freedom-happy incoming student becomes "that drunk first year." As in "there's that drunk first year who spilled beer all over Joe." Or "you'd think that drunk first year over there had never been to a party before." Avoid this less-than-complimentary title. You'll have plenty of time in the future to be the less obvious and more dignified, "that drunk second year."
This is not to say that drinking cannot be fun. And frankly, being drunk is even better. Passing out on the floor of a frat bathroom, on the other hand, is not as enjoyable. Realizing that you made a fool of yourself in front of a classmate/new friend/potential love of you life sucks. And being asked if you're worried about the state of your liver is downright painful.
Now that fear of your parents can't moderate your drinking habits, fear of yourself should. College students often misunderstand that they in fact are not invincible.
Just last semester, a University of Maryland student made this assumption, and paid the price. After chugging bourbon through a beer funnel, he fell into a coma, and never woke up. Oops. A couple too many drinks and the student population is down by one.
Incidents of close calls aren't unheard of here, either. My first-year suitemate found that 14 shots in half an hour won her a free trip to the hospital. Disappointed parents, anxious friends and a huge scare are just some of the consequences of pure stupidity.
No, I'm not telling you that you can't or shouldn't drink. Just don't assume that someone is going to tell you when you've had too much. You make that decision, now. So congratulations, you're an adult. Welcome to responsibility.
(Kimberly Liu is a Cavalier Daily columnist. She can be reached at kliu@cavalierdaily.com.)
Read More
EDITORIAL: Carla Williams deserves her seat at the table
By Editorial Board | 3 hours agoLooking beyond basketball and football reveals that Virginia Athletics is, in many ways, thriving.
UPADHYAYA: The Great and not-so-Good sides of U.Va.’s 2030 housing plan
By Apal Upadhyaya | 2 days agoInstead of improving the dire state of existing infrastructure, however, the University has shifted attention away from it and chosen to expand.
EDITORIAL: Support low-barrier shelters in Charlottesville
By Editorial Board | 3 days agoInvesting in low-barrier shelters now will pay off in increased stability for the homeless, which will undoubtedly improve the safety of shelters and the community writ large.
