Parents and binge drinking. Probably two aspects of life most students like to keep separated. But in the hazy twilight between youth and adulthood, and particularly in Wisconsin, the two often mix in surprising, sometimes humorous ways. Father and son reconnect over a shared love of Schlitz and towering beer bongs.
The state of Wisconsin, UW-Madison in particular, catches a lot of flak for its habit of tipping the elbow, as evidenced by the invectives appearing in local newspapers. It is commonly agreed alcohol consumption is a problem, albeit a usually enjoyable one. Many experts opine that adding parents into the equation only exacerbates problem-drinking habits by providing students with mom and pop's seal of approval. However, for those who feel drinking is a part of life in Wisconsin, parental participation is necessary to teach first-time sippers responsible drinking behavior.
In many states, Wisconsin included, it is legal for children under the age of 21 to consume alcohol at home with their parents. But the Badger State takes things a step further. Chapter 125, Section 7 of Wisconsin statutory law makes it unlawful for anyone under 21 years of age to possess or consume alcoholic beverages on licensed premises unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or spouse who has attainted the legal drinking age.""
For underage UW-Madison students, this has traditionally been taken to mean that when the parents come to town for a visit, drinks, in addition to dinner, are on them.
UW-Madison junior Abbey Otteson first heard of this clause shortly after arriving in town her freshman year. Ever since, when her parents visit her from the Twin Cities they will typically treat her to a beer if they are out at a restaurant.
""My dad is originally from Wisconsin,"" Otteson said. ""So every year they'll come down for a football game or two. My dad really gets into it.""
Badger fan status and legal permissibility notwithstanding, what Otteson's parents do not get into is the gameday binge drinking scene. This, in turn, serves to temper Otteson's gameday drinking.
""My dad might have a beer or two at the tailgate,"" Otteson said. ""But they're not very heavy drinkers. Usually, when my parents come it's the one game I don't drink [before].""
Otteson may not be alone in curbing her suds consumption when her parents come to town. However, for born-and-bred Wisconsinites, it's often a different story.
Residents of the state have long been known for their beer-drinking tradition, perpetuated in part by long, cold winters.
And although a casual Pabst here and there may be harmless, there is a reason it is sold in packs of 30 in Wisconsin.
According to a Nov. 16, 2008 New York Times article, Wisconsin has led the nation in binge drinking ever since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began surveying the practice 10 years ago. Add in some lenient drinking laws, and it may amount to a recipe for alcohol-induced disaster.
""When there's a pervasive statewide culture connecting drinking to virtually every leisure activity, coupled with lenient laws concerning consequences of drinking, then it's no surprise that the state and the university have the highest drinking rates and binge drinking rates in the country,"" said Aaron Brower, a UW-Madison professor of social work.
Brower, who studies alcohol use on college campuses, believes when children are allowed into bars to see their parents drink heavily with them, it serves to perpetuate drinking culture.
""When kids see adults overdrink and then act stupid, they emulate that,"" he said. ""The law in Wisconsin that allows underage students to drink with parents in bars only encourages the expectation to drink, as if drinking is simply 'what you do' when you go out.""
On a campus where the question of ""Are you going out tonight?"" often equates to ""Are you drinking tonight?"" drinking in excess is very much 'what you do.' The university's administration has long tried to combat the school reputation as a party (read: drinking) campus. Understandably, such efforts are met by students with scorn, yet often the school officials have students', and the state's, best interests in mind.
Although everyone may be expected to go a little wild in college, the worry in Wisconsin is that such behavior will not end at graduation. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Wisconsin drivers are more likely to drive drunk than any other drivers in the nation and receive what some consider inexcusably light penalties for it. Likewise, Wisconsin has the highest number of drunk-driving deaths per capita.
But Wisconsin natives contend the state gets a bad rap. At least that is how sophomore Mollie Riley feels. Riley, now 20, had her first drink with her mom at a Green Bay bar when she was 17, but rather than creating problems, she thinks it helped her learn to drink responsibly.
""No one should wait [to drink] until they are 21 and then go all out and die,"" Riley said. Although she agrees drinking is 'what you do' when out in Wisconsin, Riley said it is important therefore that children are introduced to drinking culture under the watchful eye of a parent and not some hormone-stricken undergraduate with ulterior motives.
""When my mom comes in town, we'll go out and I'll have maybe three drinks, casually,"" Riley explained.
""We're not out there getting drunk or anything.""
Riley admits she drinks more when her mom is not around, but she credits her mother with setting a good example for how to drink responsibly.
An interesting aspect of the Wisconsin law allowing underaged drinking with parents is that it does not set a lower bound. In practice, the state leaves it up to the bartender's discretion to serve a minor or not. However, an even grayer area of the law is its application to those between the ages of 18 and 21.
""Technically, if you are 18 or older, you don't have a legal guardian,"" UWPD Sgt. Erik Pearce said.
According to Pearce, those between the ages of 18 and 21 are ""not necessarily covered by the clause"" just because they are with their parents. ""But even that is complicated if you are a student and still listed as a dependent,"" he continued.
What's more, Wisconsin law defines ""accompanied"" as something more than the parent or guardian simply being in the same establishment as their child. Pearce, who is regularly on duty at Camp Randall on gameday, said the legal haziness works in everyone's favor.
""If you're not acting like an idiot, we'll usually let you be,"" Pearce said. ""We just never want a situation where the officer's hands are tied."" And while that often means college-aged minors are able to drink with parents, it also means that officers have the ability to crack down on 'idiots,' if need be.
It is a philosophical matter whether the onus is on the parents or the state to educate young citizens. Drinking, like any other activity, can be done both responsibly and irresponsibly. If the goal is to encourage the former, then people must learn how to drink, and like any other activity this should be expected to take some practice.
In Mollie Riley's words, ""You don't learn to just by turning 21
