NEWS
Binge-drinking claims 2 students’ lives
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Also by Sundeep Malladi:
- In-Depth: What's affected by budget cuts? (September 1, 2005)
- In-Depth: Backing up going down (September 15, 2005)
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- Alcohol course mandator at UC-Boulder (March 5, 2004)
- Adult drinking behavior trickles down (February 25, 2005)
- Decreased binge-drinking linked to diversity (November 5, 2003)
- UW ranks 2nd as party school (August 29, 2003)
by Sundeep Malladi
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Two college students in Colorado died recently from the effects of binge-drinking on campuses in Boulder and Fort Collins.
According to the New York Times, 1,400 college students ages 18 to 24 die annually as a result of alcohol abuse.
The events at Boulder and Fort Collins are not the first of their kind, and they may leave some wondering why binge-drinking continues to be a problem on college campuses.
Binge-drinking has become a concern for the University of Wisconsin in recent years. In her four years as project director for Policy Alternatives Community Education at UW, Sue Crowley has never witnessed an alcohol-poisoning death on campus.
Aaron Brower, the principal investigator for the PACE project, said UW is lucky not to have experienced losses such as those in Colorado.
“We are lucky, we are extremely lucky,” he said. “The things that happened at Boulder and Colorado State, every weekend those things could happen. It’s not like people are not drinking themselves silly.”
Though the deadly results are evident, binge-drinking proves difficult to curb. Students can frequent bars and fraternity parties and also use fake identification to break enforcement policies.
“Part of what happens is people feel anonymous and they don’t have to be accountable. That’s really critical,” Brower said.
Crowley agrees students can often lose sight of their individual responsibility when binge-drinking because the thought of having fun can make them forget they can “hurt others and themselves.”
Brower said binge-drinking on campus could be difficult to overcome due to the large majority of students who drink.
“If you’re trying to diet, think about how hard it is to diet if your roommate makes brownies and sticks them on the table,” Brower said.
Bar owners and fraternities have also made the effort to curb binge-drinking on their properties.
“No bar owner wants anybody in their establishment if they are clearly over-served. You would not want them to get to that point and you do not want them in your place,” said a Nitty Gritty employee not wishing to be identified. “The majority of the bar owners in Madison are pretty responsible — it’s one of those things you take pride in as an owner. Your customers don’t want to be in a place where somebody is overly obnoxious and obviously intoxicated.”
Fraternities have also taken steps to curb possible binge-drinking and alcohol-related deaths on their properties.
Barb Kautz, fraternity and sorority program advisor for the UW Greek system, said all charter events for a fraternity must be registered with the UW Greek system through the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council. Members of the IFC regularly check on such events to guarantee their safety. Should they be deemed unsafe, the fraternity will be taken to a judicial board, Kautz said.
However, the responsibility of the UW Greek system does not end there.
“One thing that we do do is mandatory alcohol education for everyone who enters our community,” Kautz said. “I think the Greek community is taking proactive steps. Of course, we can always do more, and we’re always looking for ways to do more.”
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 10:20am):
Yea right mandatory education BIG JOKE HA HA!!!!!!! $1.00 cups and all you can drink. This is why the UW has a problem. Also they sell them to underage kids that come to the party.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 11:05am):
Binge drinking will never end, stop wasting money on stopping it. Drinking is as much a part of college as classes. There is nothing anyone will ever be able to do to stop kids from drinking. And there is nothing wrong with it. This is America, not the USSR, stop trying to tell everyone what to do. If everyone just minded their own business, this world will be a better place. If someone wants to go out and drink beer until they puke or at least think that fat chick is hot, so be it. The only people fighting this is the 3 people that were such social outcasts in college that they have vowed to make everyone else as miserable as they were.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 1:16pm):
THE LAW SAYS 21 YEARS OLD. If you want to drink leave the country. I am sure Europe wants you too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 2:56pm):
This isn't an underage issue, its a binge drinking issue. Yes it is the law and a stupid law but that is a very different arguement. Half of college kids are of legal drinking age, and the crusade against binge drinking is very much directed at them too. I agree too much money is wasted at this useless attempt to curb binge drinking. There are plenty of more pressing issues facing society than stopping college kids from having a good time.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 3:05pm):
So instead of Binge drinking volunteer at a soup kitchen or get involved in a cause. Be productive! You can have a good time not drinking or drinking less.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 3:23pm):
no you can't
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 3:25pm):
I did join a cause once, I tried to find Audrey Sealer last year, and look where that got me.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 4:01pm):
Yea well she was just another stupid colllege kid that wanted attention and did not know how to get it
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 4:27pm):
sounds like your still a little bitter about not going to college.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 4:31pm):
That maybe a fact. But I still have learned alot from making my own way, without some rich parents or student loans or handouts.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 4:46pm):
I doubt you learned that much because you don't sound too smart. Investing in your future by taking a student loan is not something to be ashamed of. Neither is receving a grant or even being fortunate enough to have your parents pay for school. I had none of the above, and worked my way through school. If your saying going to college is stupid, your a fucking idiot.
and yes, I will have fries with that.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 4:50pm):
I maybe a f---g idiot but most college kids under the age of 21 are also.
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 4:59pm):
so are kids that aren't in college, the only difference is the ones in college will go on to make something of their lives
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 5:01pm):
yeah, this guy is an idiot, he doesn't even know how to spell "fucking"
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 5:01pm):
if you hate college kids so much, why read their paper
Anonymous (November 17, 2004 @ 8:56pm):
hey guys i wanna chat, too. 16/f/ca
Anonymous (November 18, 2004 @ 1:45am):
I love this part:
"In her four years as project director for Policy Alternatives Community Education at UW, Sue Crowley has never witnessed an alcohol-poisoning death on campus."
She just ain't hangin' out in the right places! How did she get the damned job if she hasn't seen anyone die from alcohol poisoning? Those who can't do live off of grants, I guess.
Rocco Rapaldi
