Our Opinion: Alcohol’s role in society

More on why we binge…

What is socially acceptable? Must we all conform to the norms of our culture? If you’ve ever left your dorm room, you know there are certain things that go on, outside of the classroom, that mommy and daddy would consider unsafe and most definitely unhealthy.  

For most, drinking is something we’ve seen adults do for our entire lives. Whether it was a glass of wine at dinner or pounding some brewskis during Sunday football, alcohol plays an important social role in American society, and society around the globe for that matter. We may or may not have seen the effects of alcohol from our elders, and maybe the fact that we couldn’t use it up until now is the true appeal. But, finally, we’re all grown up and have the opportunity to make our own decisions. To drink or not to drink [tonight], that is the real question.  

All of this stems back to dealing with new experiences in a new place with new people. Alcohol isn’t called a “social lubricant” for nothing. It is used, universally, to ease the social anxiety that new situations create. And being college students, most of us on the verge of becoming true adults, every day is a new experience. We want something to calm the nerves.  

Whether you drink because you need a scapegoat for the morning after, or you can’t dance without a little booze, or you simply feel uncomfortable being the only sober one around, know your limits. Know what your body can handle. If you don’t – learn. But learn slowly; you don’t want to risk waking up in the morning in handcuffs asking yourself, “What the hell happened last night?” It’s pretty much a fact of life that college students will enjoy an alcoholic beverage, but the line between remembering a good time with your friends out and about and being remembered as the fool who tried to fight a police horse is very thin.

So go forth and enjoy your fermented substances responsibly. But think about why you’re doing what you’re doing, and try to avoid the police in the process. Nothing’s worse than waking up with a hangover in a jail cell.

The editorial reflects the majority view of the editorial board of The Miami Hurricane.