I can't say I haven't done it before. I just never knew there was a name for it... binge drinking, that is. That's what a recent Harvard study calls it. Before I knew there was a name for it, I just called it having fun. Usually, my fun would start innocently with one whiskey sour, then a second, a third, a fourth ... and then, what do you know, I'm losing count. I'm laughing, disco dancing, talking about virtually nothing to the cute guy (I think) standing next to me, and having a great time. It isn't until the next day, when my head is aching and I can't stand the sight or smell of food, that I wish I hadn't had all those whiskey sours. It's only after a bad hangover that I really appreciate how great it feels to be sober.
Appartenly, I'm not the only one at Kent State who binge drinks. Binging is officially defined by the Harvard School of Public Health as having five drinks for a man and four drinks for a woman in one sitting (about three hours), within two weeks.
In this issue of the Burr, contributing editor Karen Motley interviewed roommates and students who spinned some colorful tales of binge drinking, everything from wild to mild from simply missing classes to waking up in the morning with a bloody elbow or even a missing ear. Motley says she found it disturbing that many students didn't realize they had a problem with drinking. "They played up their drinking and didn't think there was anything wrong with it," she says. "They said it wasn't interfering in their lives, when in reality, it was."
Certainly, binge drinking is a big enough problem to justify the existence of Kent State's Coalition to Reduce Binge Drinking, a group that aims to reduce occurrences of binge drinking on campus. The group's efforts are worthwhile, but it will be difficult to eliminate the problem completely, mainly because college students have always been fascinated with alcohol. The best tactic may be education; to show the negative consequences of binge drinking and to stress the importance of being able to drink in moderation.
To end on a lighter note, the staff of the Burr definitely had its fair share of fun this semester, especially assistant photo editor and writer Kevin Brosien. Brosien and his bartender pal J. decided to canoe the Cuyahoga River from Kent to the Cleveland Flats, in early September. I had never known anyone to take such a journey before, and I recall the day Kevin stumbled into my office to tell me about it. I remember thinking, "Is this guy crazy?" Well, maybe he is a little bit, but he's brave, too. He says it was the best and worst experience of his life, and you'll definitely believe him after checking out his story, "Two Men, a Canoe and a Dream."
Enjoy life and the Burr.
Yours,
