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Essay on The Alarm Would Wake My Weary Head At A Quarter Past Ten O’clock In The Morning Allowing Me Just Enough Time To Don A Bas
| Date: |
03-08-02 11:06pm |
| Subject: |
Miscellaneous |
| Word Count: |
856 |
| Page Count: |
3.42 |
The alarm would wake my weary head at a quarter past ten o’clock in the morning allowing me just enough time to don a baseball cap and pull on a pair of dirty jeans and make my first class of the day. My exhaustion, originating from a late evening before and during which I drank several mixed drinks made with cheap liquor at a fraternity party and a couple of shots of tequila that I took with a friend, was nothing new. Oh, yeah. Did I fail to mention my drunken participation, much to the pleasure of my buddies, in the infamous keg stand, a lucrative act that guarantees a drunken state after the tap of the keg is placed in your mouth, fellow observers hold your legs above your head, and the seconds that pass are loudly counted aloud?! The result from the evening was exhaustion and failure to remain awake during lecture classes. In fact, alcohol-induced fatigue was a common occurrence for both fellow classmates and myself throughout semesters on end. Often times, I would fail to even attend class after consuming a large quantity of alcohol because I fell asleep praying to the porcelain God that so many of us have come to realize is the one, single most hated symbol of being obliterated by alcohol.
Fortunately for me, my grades and my liver, I experienced an epiphany the morning after one of the many fraternity parties—I realized that like other students, my grades were well in need of attention, my liver was well in need of rest, and I was ready for school to reach summer vacation. I was exhausted. I was worn-out. I was tired of partying. Whoa…how many college students will you hear say that last sentence in your lifetime?
The answer is probably not that many, and that’s the problem with alcohol consumption of college campuses across the United States today. Binge drinking, or the consumption of more than five alcoholic drinks in one sitting, has become the way of life for many college students and members of the fraternity world. And unfortunately, there is a myriad of unwanted risks and consequences lurking behind every bottle of tequila, every joy ride while intoxicated, and every member of the opposite sex looking pretty good after a six-pack of beer. Statistics have demonstrated that drunken driving, unsafe sex and the spread of sexually-transmitted disease has continued to rise—in fact, the HIV virus and the terminally and fatal disease of AIDS has seen increasing numbers in people ages 19-24, making it the number two killer behind car accidents. Ding, ding, ding…doesn’t that make an impact upon you?! Car accidents is the first killer of people ages 19-24…hello, college students, could this be we often drive home from fraternity parties intoxicated as there are no sober drivers to confiscate our keys? Furthermore, doesn’t the thought of contracting the dreaded HIV virus and the terminally and fatal disease of AIDS because of your intoxicated sexual activity scare the crap out of you?! I once scoffed and said to myself, “bah…it will never happen to me or anyone I know.” But it could, and it could happen to you or any other college student participating in the activity of binge drinking.
In efforts to tame this wild activity among college students, the state legislature, along with college students, needs to recognize the increasing statistics of drunken driving and illegal drug use—come on, we all know that have either smoked a joint or been tempted to. Recognition is the first step in solving any problem and is often the first to be ignored.
We also need to make stricter laws governing the illegal consumption of alcohol by minors and tougher consequences for those driving while intoxicated. Texas just passed a new law lowering the intoxication level for drivers, but all this does is deter people from drinking one more beer before they cruise the streets. The legislature needs to establish a tougher rigor for those caught driving while intoxicated; disallowing the redistribution of their drivers’ license for a longer period of time, or even mark their license upon return restricting the convicted to purchase alcoholic beverages. These steps would surely lower the incident of those driving while intoxicated and would definitely hinder the reoccurrence of convicted drivers committing their second offense.
Collegiate administrators need to make stiffer penalties and enforce them for all violating the underage drinking laws for on-campus parties. In fact, a better idea would be to eliminate any alcohol consumption on college campuses. The fraternity world needs to participate in a dry ride system in which one person is designated the sober ride for the evening. And finally, we as college students need to learn moderation—alcohol can be used wisely and still enable us to have a great time and obtain an education, after-all isn’t that what we are at college for?
This isn’t an issue of hypocritical preaching; I have been there and done that. It’s an effort to educate my fellow classmates. You learn best from your own mistakes, but please don’t let an evening filled with alcohol be the final mistake you experience in your lifetime.
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