After spending four years at UW Madison, I think it’s safe to say I’ve spent more money on beer than I have on books, and more time in bars, house parties and pre-gaming than I did studying. Sorry mom, the books were really expensive. Is this a problem? Some would say “yes,” people like me are the ones who ruin our campus image and contribute to our dangerous “drinking culture.” But many would say “no,” arguing instead that people like me are the ones who improve our campus image and contribute to Wisconsin’s great drinking culture. The disconnect between these two points of view was on showcase last week during a series of presentations, guest speakers and panels that met across campus to discuss the drinking culture at the UW.
When I attended one of these events, I was impressed by a new attitude that seems to appreciate social drinking and embraces a non-judgmental approach to addressing problem drinking. While I agree this is a step in the right direction, the numerous groups and committees formed to tackle the problem still refuse to meet students halfway. Their list of demands grows every year: Show and blow, the alcohol density plan, the neutering of Halloween, bar raids, crack-downs in the dorms, thousands of underage drinking tickets. This attitude is aimed at making us safer, but it shows no respect for our culture. That’s right; Wisconsin has a culture.
We like to tailgate, hunt, eat dangerously unhealthy food and, yes, we like to drink. A lot. Of course this lifestyle has negative consequences, but when everyone piles on us for loving dollar beers and free bacon, they create a form of reactance that only exacerbates the problem. If officials want to talk to students about drinking and actually make a change, rather than banging their heads against a wall, they are going to have to get a better understanding of why we act this way.
My guess is that Biddy Martin doesn’t hit too many cups to send it into overtime and the majority of aldermen have never once flipped for the win (except maybe Verveer). The doctors who presented at the event I attended understood the science behind drinking, but they couldn’t quantify its awesomeness. What makes us play drinking games and buy keg after keg isn’t something a committee can address or even comprehend. Wisconsinites love their freedom and that means the freedom to do things like drink cheap beer and bounce quarters into ice cube trays — things that don’t really make much practical sense.
The people who are contributing to the problem, as our city sees it, don’t want to be entirely safe. They want the excitement of not knowing what is going to happen next — a sense of adventure and the camaraderie that comes from running around town in the middle of the night. They grew up all over Wisconsin with parents and friends who felt the same way. For these people there is no distinction between their culture and their drinking culture. By focusing on the negatives and never truly getting to understand Wisconsin, the actions of Madison’s authorities have targeted our way of life.
Last week I read a story in the Herald about a girl who had a blood alcohol content of .44 and punched the house fellow who tried to stop her from taking off her clothes to have sex with an EMT. Clearly this indicates a serious issue, but people who feel their culture is under attack do not respond to these types of situations by making changes. They respond with shout-outs.
We have all read shout-outs that glamorize these ridiculous drunken situations, and that is the response Madison will continue to get unless it admits that, at least in part, drinking is a great part of our culture. Of course there are consequences, but clearly, for most of us, it’s worth it. The problem is the majority who do make it through college unscathed are never going to make a change for the minority, those who get seriously hurt, if they feel their right to party is being lost in the process.
The solutions are simple and numerous: Go out in groups, take care of your friends, drink a glass of water between drinks, get consent every time. But the people who really need to hear these messages don’t take them seriously when they come from groups and figureheads that can’t remember what it feels like to be out there having the time of your life.
After Mifflin weekend I’m sure you are all tired of hearing about drinking, but the issue isn’t going away. The demanding haters will always be there trying to fix problem drinking by restricting the rights of the only people who can really do anything about what happens on the streets: The other 95 percent of drinkers. We are the ones who are there when someone passes out. We are the ones who have the power to stop sexual assault, and we are the ones who set the standard for how much is too much. Most groups do have a point; we could do better on all of these issues and it’s time we started trying from the inside. But when someone labels you as a binge drinker because you have more than five beers, or spend your book money on beer, that person showcases a clear misunderstanding of our culture, a misunderstanding that means his or her ideas will be ignored.
Andrew Carpenter ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in communication arts and psychology.
