It seems like some University of Wisconsin students have grown tired of the “glass half-full” mentality and now their Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are defined by how full their eighth, ninth or 10th cup is by the end of the night. This of course is not unique to Madison, though our reputation probably suggests otherwise. Many a time we hear our friends’ sloppy stories from their crazy nights — or at least the parts they remember — some of which take place in the relative quiet of a dorm room or others that take place at huge Langdon parties that seem almost fantastical in detail.

The surreal archetype of the typical frat guy at a raging party with umpteen beer kegs has been woven into our culture with movies like “Animal House” and “Old School,” which parade bands of bros who suckle beer bongs like infants to their mother’s teats and who are infinitely more coordinated doing a keg stand than standing among friends. These images are definitely exaggerated for elements of comedy, but there is truth in the connection of fraternities to their epic parties, which by and large include copious drinking.

The idea of alcohol may be foreign, familiar, nostalgic or distant to different people, but for most college students, they thrive on it. Alcohol consumption in itself isn’t necessarily a morally wrong thing, and attempting to argue against that timeless reality would be useless and annoying. It’s part of college culture, but people have to remember the responsibility part that comes with college and with drinking.

In an effort to not sound like a parental broken record, I raise a new question: when a student dies as a result of drinking too much at a fraternity, is the confiscation of the fraternity and the disbandment of the brotherhood warranted on grounds that they were responsible for the death by some extension?

Such was the case with 18-year-old freshman Johnny Smith at Wabash College, who died as a result of his drinking at a fraternity, as reported in a New York Times article. The fraternity where Johnny’s drinking ensued was the Delta Tau Delta house, which was then closed by college officials for the fraternity’s hand in the matter.

Speaking with several students from different fraternities, it’s rarely the case that fraternity brothers shove a beer bong down a pledge’s throat, and if it is, that’s just cruel. But even though the fraternity brothers are not imposing alcohol on others, they are providing it, and in a legal sense, they’re responsible.

In another sense, which is likely more problematic for all college campuses, the fraternities that throw parties and provide alcohol to others have created a conformity of drinking that makes them in part responsible for their peers’ drinking. While being surrounded by alcohol does not necessarily make one expected to drink, alcohol has become something to make a person feel welcomed in a fraternity, where friends are really brothers. The same may hold true for sororities and even other student organizations, but the reputation of fraternities makes them even more responsible because their reputation feeds the presence and consumption of alcohol.

Scientifically speaking, this connection has been shown through multiple studies. Self-reporting studies have shown that alcohol use is more prevalent at sororities and fraternities, with fraternities boasting the heaviest and most frequent drinking patterns, according to a self-reporting study. Another study even illustrates the effects of perceived pressure on drinkers, revealing that students who did not have friends who discouraged drinking were more likely to become drinkers if they lived in fraternities than those who did not participate in Greek organizations. Another study showed that Greek participants have used alcohol as a means to friendship, social activity and sexuality, none of which is too surprising.

To be fair to fraternity members, they’re just trying to have fun, and many are of legal drinking age. Fraternities have made surprising efforts to ensure safety, uphold respect, teach academic merit and harbor well-being in college, but they are also an integral part of the problem of binge drinking. Do I think they should stop drinking so younger, more inexperienced drinkers do not feel like drinking will help them fit in, bringing the consequences of their poor decisions? No, because the perceived pressure to drink is too indirect of a reason for making people drink more.

Some students are widely unconcerned with the effects their drinking has, and while when “everyone” is taking a round of shots, the sober wallflower is standing there feeling left out waiting for their opportunity to feel like they can fit in among their college counterparts. Be conscious and sensitive to the pressure put on others with alcohol, and to those who do, I raise my glass to you.

Patrick Johnson ([email protected]) is a freshman hoping to major in journalism.