By Ian Godfrey
With the banning of alcohol on Greek row and the state-wide lowering of the blood-alcohol level required to be considered drunk in recent years, it would appear that alcohol use is under attack. U of L students tend to agree that mature and responsible consumption of alcohol is acceptable. Elizabeth Davis, a Freshman, believes that “Alcohol is fine when consumed responsibly. It’s only when people abuse it that it becomes deadly.” Amy Allan, also a Freshman, noted “Alcohol is okay. The people who abuse it aren’t. Drinking responsibly should definitely be allowed but if you can’t control your drinking habits, you need to stop.”
As for alcohol consumption on campus, Cameron Carberry, a Junior said that “Possibly too much drinking happens around U of L, but most students try to be responsible about it.” Freshman Cara Harris is glad that alcohol is not allowed on campus. “It is a distraction. It’s fine and everything if used in moderation but unnecessary in an academic environment. And unfortunately not everyone drinks only in moderation.”
Michael Driver, Senior and President of Beta Theta Pi, urges students not to give in to peer pressure. “If you want to drink then go ahead, but be mindful of your limits. Drink responsibly and don’t let others force you to do anything that you consider unsafe.” sophomore Alex Lucas says alcohol is “One of those things that can either be a good friend or a terrible enemy. One or two beers at the end of a hard day is fine and enjoyable. But if alcohol is your main focus in life however and you feel that you should hit the bottle all the time, then you have some real problems.”
Other students feel differently about alcohol. Eric Langevin, a sophomore, believes that any alcohol use presents an “unnecessary risk.” “Alcohol is something that you don’t need to have a good time. You might say you are going to drink responsibly but it is too easy to cross that line. You might be an alcoholic waiting to happen. Why take that chance?” Donnie McCay, sophomore, says drinking can “ruin your hopes and dreams. Someone might have high goals and aspirations and then drink them right into the gutter. It’s better to just steer clear of that risk.”
Sophomore Jennifer Hughes believes that “Alcohol use is prominent among Louisville students. Many of these students should be aware of their genetic potential for alcoholism. No matter how hard they try, if they’ve got the genes then drinking responsibly might be impossible for them.”
Needless to say, no one wants to suffer the negative consequences of alcohol that we all hear about so much. No one wants to be hit by a drunken driver or worse, be the drunken driver who hits someone else. As fun as partying might be, it’s essential to remember what is truly important. Jessica Nimmo, Senior, offers this advice. “It’s important to drink responsibly but even then, everyone needs someone to watch out for them. If you’re going to be drinking, make sure you have a friend there to watch your back.”
One last note to be reminded of, is that even though many sophomores and freshman might agree that responsible alcohol use is acceptable, if you’re under 21 alcohol use is still legally unacceptable.
