This I Believe

To drink or not to drink? This is a question that thousands of college students face everyday. Most incoming freshman quickly will learn that this choice determines several things about an individual. If one drinks, then they have the ability to meet a lot of new people every night. The student that chooses not to drink, well they have that same opportunity but feel like they do not belong with that crowd. So for that reason they will not go up to the group, rather they will stay inside for a good portion of the night.

Personally I believe that every student that steps foot onto a university should have the ability to choose his or her friends. Drinking has become not only a social thing but has become a way of labeling an individual. Countless times I have gone down the halls and had my friend tell me about someone. My friend will usually rattle off the individual’s name, major, and whether they drink or not, and if so, then a crazy story at a party. That is it, not where they grew up, how old they are, if they are nice, but if they drink or not.

Drinking has gotten way out of hand. I have many friends that go out and drink every single night. I feel pity for them because they do not understand the problems that their actions will cause in the long run. A few of my friends have been kicked off of campus due to the results of their actions. They also have gotten further trouble with the law.

I do not condone drinking not one bit. I go out and have fun and drink one or two times a week and I do not regret that decision, although I have experienced the negative effects of alcohol. I have met a lot of different people and I love being in such a great school like the University of Minnesota Duluth. However, often I am sickened when my friends make fun of other students because they do not drink. I feel that drinking has become as discriminatory as skin color, race, and gender.