Two Fridays ago a student fell from a balcony and sustained serious injuries. But according to an eyewitness in the police report who wished to remain anonymous for this article, UW freshman Sean Weas' fall was not simply a fall. It was more like a \climb over the rail, slip and then fall."" As is often reported afterward, it is a tragic story of a victim of alcohol who accidentally fell. But is that a proper way of portraying these unfortunate incidents?
Don't blame the alcohol. How many times have you downed a few beers at a party, went to the balcony for a smoke or some air and fell off? Everyone at this particular party was able to navigate the balcony. It's this fact that makes the ""blame the alcohol"" articles that tend to follow these incidents so off-target. Of the thousands of UW students who consume alcohol each weekend, maybe one in a million falls.
If the odds of falling are so small, are parties so dangerous? Sue Crowley, the director of Policy Alternatives Community Education, said parties are not safe. This might be true, but is the student section at a Badger football game any safer? Is driving in my car any safer? Students frequently participate in activities more dangerous than being drunk at a party.
Admittedly, these events are unfortunate when they occur, but the victims may not be the kids hurting themselves. Like momma always said, your actions affect everyone around you. Using the Weas situation as an example, I'd imagine it wasn't the most pleasant experience for his family or friends. Let's not forget the party hosts either. With all the negative attention, they received a fine. It's a hefty one too, according to the Madison Police Department web site, at approximately $4,800 per resident. Ouch.
It's all about personal responsibility. College, along with the academic education, is about growing up and learning outside of the lecture halls. The phrase ""Don't let school get in the way of your education,"" is somewhat valid. UW is a top-ranked academic institution as well as a renowned party school. I venture to say the majority of UW students have the academic aspect down. So the real test is what a person does on the weekends-that brief period when the weekly academic life ends and the books and notes are tossed aside for cups and cans. How are you going to handle it? Most learn to take accountability for their actions. ""Well, I was drunk,"" wouldn't be a good excuse if you made out with your sister, and it certainly doesn't mean anything when you harm yourself or others.
So it's not drugs, the party hosts or the friends who should be blamed for these unfortunate incidents. Because, once you've made the decision to drink, what happens next is up to you.
