Granted there is not much to do in Castleton, but there’s gotta be more to do than getting drunk and urinating in the shoes of the people across the hall. Drinking has its own appeal-hanging out with friends, relaxing at the end of the day, and (to a very select few) the taste.

But alcohol should be used as the English use it, as a drink, not as a tool to get drunk. When you have to make up stupid games in order to force down massive enough amounts of alcohol to get wasted, then you’ve taken it too far.

How can you enjoy yourself, if you don’t even remember what’s happened?

Who knows if you were actually having fun or not, you may have been puking your guts out. The only physical result of hard nights partying is an emptier pocket, and a hangover.

And more importantly these days, how can you keep yourself safe while you are drunk?

The reported sexual assault was done by an “intoxicated” college student. Getting drunk can be dangerous. You can make an idiot out of yourself, you can end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, or you can drive while thinking you are honky dory and end up killing someone. Most people know at least one person who has done one of these things.

Yeah, college students are going to experiment, but how many trials do you need to have a proven experiment, and what exactly are to trying to prove and to whom?

It’s disgusting, it’s juvenile, and it’s terribly depressing that so many people sink to these levels and call it “fun.”

Students stagger into classes proclaiming to still be drunk like they deserve a trophy. It’s not cool; it’s totally disrespecting the teacher and the rest of the class.

In the past week, a professor and a dean have asked me if it seems a bit disturbing how many students depend (and focus) on drinking as a way in life in Castleton. There are a few students who don’t drink, but they are definitely the minority.

As far as what they have to say, I’d agree. There’s so much more to do than get drunk, but if you do drink, don’t do it excessively. You only have so many brain cells.