The dangers of excessive alcohol consumption have finally reached the forefront of conversation. With over 50 students already having been transported to the hospital, this increasing trend has caused the University community to direct its focus on stopping dangerous alcohol use. Not only should we monitor ourselves when it comes to drinking, but it’s our responsibility as college students, friends, and peers to look out for each other when these situations get out of control.

One difference between this semester and previous years is that we now have student support. With more than a thousand students attending the “One Too Many” talk, this problem is out in the open. But we can’t simply say that we are fixing the problem by attending a talk and listening to students share their stories. It may seem easy to simply avoid worrying about dangerous alcohol consumption, but we have to take action and show that we are part of the solution.

A large portion of our newspaper staff has voiced their opinions on the subject. There is an idea, especially on this campus, that it is acceptable to work hard and play hard. After a long week of rigorous academics, social gatherings with copious amounts of alcohol are often the response.

If people choose to drink on the weekends, there is no problem with that. The problem is the amount of alcohol being consumed in such a short period of time. As students we need to alter this “work hard, play hard” mindset and adopt a healthier, more responsible relationship with alcohol consumption. We must also remain cognizant of the issue if we wish to move forward.   

When students need to be hospitalized every weekend, the alcohol consumption has gone too far. We don’t need another student fighting and battling for his or her life after overindulging in alcohol. Hopefully, our discussions in the past few weeks regarding the issue will begin improving the situation.

While improvements have been made in the past couple of years in regard to the drinking culture on campus, greater improvement needs to be made. The number of hospitalizations we’ve seen in this semester alone is a clear testament to this. 

It can be considered a positive change that students are becoming more actively aware of the implications of our alcohol use and abuse. We’ve hopefully begun making progress before, rather than after, there is a serious injury or even death. Even if it is a slow process, our student body should be prepared to take the stand and openly eradicate dangerous alcohol use from this campus.