Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Editor's note: See our special section that corresponds with "A shot of reality" for more stories, videos and multimedia.
Slouched into his couch, the KU senior laughed about his early efforts to make fake IDs for his friends. It sometimes took him four or five attempts to get it right, using a home printer and lamination papers he bought online for 25 cents apiece.
Video
View an audio slideshow of a Tuesday night out at the Jazzhaus with Adam Luke, Topeka junior.
Video
Take an inside look at a KU house party with video interviews of the party's hosts
Video
While college drinking may be a commonly accepted stereotype, KU students disagree with the view.
Video
Students share their opinions on the role of peer pressure in the University's drinking culture.
Adam Luke, Wichita junior, takes a shot with friends at Jazzhaus. Luke often frequents the establishment Tuesday nights for the $1.50 "almost anything" drink special. Lawrence residents can typically find cheap drink specials every night of the week, a contributing factor to Lawrence's reputation as a party town.
“Now I can make a flawless one on the first time,” said the Southeast Kansas senior, who asked to remain anonymous because of the incriminating nature of his actions.
He eventually made a profit by selling knock-off Oklahoma driver’s licenses, which don’t have a hologram. But he said his initial motivation for making the IDs wasn’t for the money; he just wanted to bring friends with him to the Lawrence bars.
“I get to college and I am a lot older than all of my friends,” he recalled. “So, when I turn 21 I’m able to go out, but it’s not very much fun going and hanging out at the bars by yourself. So I had to devise some way for my friends to come and have fun with me.”
In Lawrence, fake IDs often help underage students get alcohol. But not all students go to such lengths. They don’t need to. Many find that the easiest access to alcohol comes simply from of-age friends who can legally buy booze for others at liquor stores.
Both means appear evident in the case of Jason Wren, the 19-year-old freshman from Littleton, Colo., who died March 8 after a night of heavy drinking. According to police, Wren used a fake ID to buy margaritas at a local restaurant. Afterward, Wren continued to drink at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house, downing 10 to 12 beers, boxed wine and whiskey before going to bed, said people who were with him that night.
Most KU students don’t drink as much on a regular basis as Wren did that night. But with 20 bars and more than 40 restaurants that serve alcohol, Lawrence is known as a drinking town where girls make “shot books” on their 21st birthdays, taking 21 shots and keeping a page for each shot; where guys chug whole beers through beer bongs; where beer pong and other drinking games are commonplace at student parties; and where bar specials on weeknights bring students out in large numbers. These and other factors contribute to a culture that celebrates excessive alcohol consumption.
A 2006 study by the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) surveyed a representative sample of students from 117 colleges, including more than 1,500 KU students. The study asked students whether they had drank five or more alcoholic drinks in a single setting three to five times within the past two weeks. KU students said yes at nearly twice the national average, 21 percent compared with 11 percent.
In the same survey, 47 percent of KU students admitted to drinking and driving within the past 30 days, doubling the national average for the same question of 23 percent.
When asked about driving after consuming five or more drinks, 18 percent of KU respondents said they had, compared with the national average of 4 percent.
Several aspects of college life help create a culture in which students binge drink, often more so than people their age who are not in college. Researchers say these contributors include communal living arrangements such as residence halls and greek housing, the co-mingling of underage and of-age students, increased amounts of unstructured time, and a high number of alcohol ads targeted at college students.
LIFE ON CAMPUS
The smell of day-old Ramen, burnt popcorn and cheap beer permeates the hallways of McCollum Hall. As the University’s largest dorm, McCollum houses about 900 students. With so many shared aspects of living, it’s impossible for students to avoid interacting with other residents. Card games, movie nights and video games all add to the atmosphere of residence hall life.
A robust social scene is one of the main attractions of life in University residence halls and greek houses. However, a 2000 study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAAA, showed that living in residence halls or greek housing was also one of the main factors that leads to student drinking.
“One of the reasons that we encourage people to live on campus is for socialization,” said Diana Robertson, director of the Department of Student Housing. “But hopefully for good, not evil.”
Garry Stidham, a Johnson County Community College student transfering to the University in the fall, celebrates his 21st birthday April 17 at Jazzhaus, a popular drinking establishment in downtown Lawrence. Factors such as a constant commingling of those who are of legal drinking age and those who are not, massive amounts of alcohol advertising, and cheap mid-week drink specials contribute to a drinking culture in Lawrence that is sometimes seen as excessive.
About 5,000 KU students live in some form of University housing, either in residence halls, on-campus apartments or scholarship halls. About 2,400 students live in greek houses. Together, these students make up approximately 36 percent of the undergraduate population.
Lindsey Coggins, Waterville freshman, said it was hard to pass up drinking when living in McCollum Hall. She said many McCollum residents drink regularly in the dorm, some every night. Coggins said that despite the rules, it’s no problem sneaking alcohol into rooms.
“A backpack, a purse, anything you can find, you can sneak into your room,” she said.
Coggins said she and her friends once snuck about $90 worth of alcohol into McCollum in a beer box by disguising it as a gift, complete with wrapping paper and a bow.
“This was within the first couple weeks of school starting, and we were pretty nervous about bringing in alcohol,” Coggins said. “So we tried to do the most innocent thing we could think of.”
In a 2001 Harvard School of Public Health college alcohol study, research showed that fraternity members were more likely to participate in heavy drinking than their non-fraternity peers, 75 percent versus 49 percent. The study showed that 62 percent of sorority members engaged in heavy drinking, compared with 41 percent of non-greek female students.
All KU fraternities and sororities are privately owned, allowing them to make their own rules regarding alcohol.
Video
What are the signs of alcohol poisoning? With Jenny McKee, coordinator for Student Health Services.
Video
What to do when someone has alcohol poisoning. With Jenny McKee, coordinator for Student Health Services.
Video
What NOT to do when someone has alcohol poisoning. With Jenny McKee, coordinator for Student Health Services.
Phi Delta Theta is the University’s only dry fraternity, meaning alcohol is prohibited. All KU sororities are considered dry.
Jay Wren, Jason’s father, has called on Sigma Alpha Epsilon and other fraternities to go dry, or to accept only members who are 21 and older because of what he called the apparent lack of supervision within the SAE house.
SAE has made no announcement to date about going dry.
Jake Gibbs, Santa Fe, N.M., senior and member of Sigma Chi, said much of the greek social life is centered on drinking, which can sometimes get out of hand if people aren’t responsible. He said, however, that Wren’s death should be a wake-up call to all students, not just to members of the greek community.
“It’s obviously a problem when you’ve got kids dying,” Gibbs said.
Living in the Sigma Chi house for two years often led Gibbs to drink more than he might have otherwise. He said he drinks less now that he lives off-campus.
According to the 2006 NCHA study, 13 percent of KU students say they don’t drink regularly or at all.
Erryn Kindle, Eudora sophomore, is one of them.
He doesn’t drink because of what he calls a “bribe.” When he was 10 years old, his parents promised him $1,000 if he refrained from drinking until turning 21.
Despite his pledge, Kindle often goes to parties or local clubs. He said new acquaintances are sometimes surprised to find out he doesn’t drink.
“I always feel weird when I tell them,” Kindle said.
After living in Russia for several years, Jenny Geide said she decided that alcohol wasn’t for her. She said she witnessed a lot of excessive drinking, which turned her off from wanting to drink.
Shotbooks, like this one belonging to Shea Scanlon, Lenexa junior, have become a popular gift among college women., usually given for the recipient's 21st birthday. Each of the 21 pages document a different shot of alcohol, the time it was consumed, and the recipients signature, sometime used as a way to chart her degree of inebriation.
“Being exposed to that culture, I saw that I didn’t want to live like that,” Geide said.
Geide said her Christian faith and guidance from her parents also motivated her to not drink.
“I don’t really believe that I should be drinking,” Geide said, “especially to get drunk.”
She said the choice to abstain from alcohol was made easier because she had supportive friends with similar values.
“My friends and I have tons of fun all the time and drinking is never involved,” Geide said. “There’s lots to do without going to parties. You just need to find the right friends.”
ADVERTISING
Whether it be Bud Light’s ‘Men of Genius’ commercials, Jayplay’s back cover with weekly drink specials, or brightly colored ads for local bars chalked across campus sidewalks, students are inundated with alcohol advertising.
The NIAAA study identified a high number of advertisements targeted at college students as another factor linked to heavy drinking.
David Jernigan, executive director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, said the alcohol industry glamorized and misrepresented the use of alcohol in advertisements.
“The majority of college students are not getting drunk every weekend,” Jernigan said. “But you wouldn’t know that from seeing alcohol advertisements.”
Jenny McKee, health educator at Watkins’ Wellness Resource Center, said she gave presentations to classes about the misperceptions of alcohol use by KU students. McKee often asks classes to guess what percentage of their peers drink.
“It never fails, they always say 99 or 100 percent,” McKee said. “But we know that’s just not true.”
Jernigan, also an associate professor of health, behavior and society at Johns Hopkins University, said underage people are more exposed to alcohol advertising than people of legal age.
“Study after study has found that the more alcohol advertisements people are exposed to, the more likely they are to drink, and to drink heavily,” Jernigan said.
Jon Schlitt, sales and marketing adviser for The University Daily Kansan, said the majority of alcohol-related ads ran on Thursdays, because Thursday is a popular night for students to go out.
“Alcohol is a legal product, pending that you are over the age of 21, so therefore we do welcome advertising from our local bars,” Schlitt said.
Schlitt said the advertising staff doesn’t run ads that promote underage or binge drinking.
“We want our bars to run creative ads, and we want them to get people in the door,” Schlitt said. “But at the same time, we want to make sure that they’re following the law.”
Although Schlitt said alcohol ads were important to The Kansan, he said apartment ads were “the bread and butter” of The Kansan’s advertising revenue.
DRINKING SCENE
The options for students of where, what and how much to drink can sometimes be overwhelming. As in Wren’s case, this range of choices can sometimes lead to dangerous behavior.
In 2008, Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s emergency room treated 1,526 patients for alcohol-related issues, 273 of which were college students. 365 were treated for alcohol poisoning.
Lawrence residents and students play a round of beer pong, a popular drinking game, outside a house on April 25. House parties are an alternative to the bar scene and another way to enjoy Lawrence nightlife, especially for individuals not of legal drinking age.
Graphic by Haley Jones
Graphic by Lauren Cunningham
“Drinking in Lawrence is an epidemic,” said John Drees, the hospital’s community education specialist.
After working the overnight weekend shift as an ER nurse at the hospital, Drees said, he and other hospital staffers had adopted a dark sense of humor.
He recalled a night when a fellow nurse started dancing a jig in the nurses’ station while she exclaimed, “I have a sober patient! I have a sober patient!”
He said the joking helped him deal with the situation.
“It’s very human, you know, and it actually gets you kind of depressed because you’re going, ‘How much can this happen?’” Drees said.
McKee said most students don’t understand the dangers of binge drinking.
She said the standard definition of binge drinking is consecutive consumption of five drinks for men and four drinks for women. One drink is measured as a one-ounce shot, 12-ounce beer, or a 4.5-ounce glass of wine. McKee said one drink could raise the typical person’s blood alcohol concentration by .02 percent. The legal limit is .08 percent.
She said many students she counseled have easily exceeded that amount on a regular basis.
“That seems like pre-gaming to them,” McKee said. “That’s not what they think binge drinking is.”
A popular excuse for binge drinking is tailgating at home football games. The time-honored tradition attracts thousands of fans who barbecue and drink hours before kickoff.
Joseph Weeks, St. Paul, Minn., junior, said he often woke up with hangovers on game days. But he said he would force himself to drink with his friends, even if he wasn’t in the mood.
“If it’s a big game, I’ll probably drink through the day and night,” Weeks said.
A 2007 University of Texas study showed that students consumed more alcohol during college sporting events than they did on Halloween and New Year’s Eve, which are typically heavy drinking days for college students.
Capt. Schuyler Bailey, of the KU Public Safety Office, said law enforcement regulated drinking on game days. On an otherwise dry campus, drinking is allowed in the areas surrounding Memorial Stadium from three hours before kickoff until the end of halftime.
“Tailgating is not synonymous with drinking,” Bailey said. “There is nothing that says that you have to have alcohol in order to tailgate.”
Drees, of Lawrence Memorial Hospital, pointed to drinking games — beer pong, card games, and power hours — as dangerous contributors to binge drinking at the University.
“The real question is: Why aren’t we having more deaths?” Drees said.
Bailey said he had witnessed a shift in recent years of students drinking more heavily and going out with the sole intention of passing out.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control estimates that in Douglas County, about $73 million each year, or $200,000 each day, is spent on alcohol at bars, restaurants, grocery stores and liquor stores. That’s enough to buy about 1,000 8-gigabyte iPhones, 33,000 Jimmy John’s sandwiches or 80,000 loads of laundry each day.
The Southeast Kansas senior made about 50 IDs, sometimes selling them for as much as $60 to $120. He said he made about $1,250 during the course of two years. Despite the potential for profit, he didn’t recommend that anyone else make fakes.
“The risks of that far outweigh the benefits of just having fun,” he said. “It’s not worth it all.”
He said he didn’t think fake IDs contributed to underage drinking, because he said most underage students found other ways to get alcohol.
“They’re gonna drink whether they have a fake or not,” he said.
— — Edited by Tara Smith
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Comments
Excessive and accepted
"In 2008, Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s emergency room treated 1,526 patients for alcohol-related issues, 273 of which were college students. 365 were treated for alcohol poisoning."
My hat is off to the staff of the Kansan for bringing this out into the light. Well done!
And there will still be those who don't believe a change is in order. Look at the statistics for KU, double the national averages! Hmmmm, maybe changes could be made to bring those stats down?
This is also very disturbing:
"In the same survey, 47 percent of KU students admitted to drinking and driving within the past 30 days, doubling the national average for the same question of 23 percent.
When asked about driving after consuming five or more drinks, 18 percent of KU respondents said they had, compared with the national average of 4 percent."
To do nothing and expect different results can also be defined as insanity. Of course, the question is, what to do?
Let's hear from the students what they think the SOLUTIONS are!
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I have a history of working at the front desks in the dorms and I have written a number of students up over the years. In the majority of the cases, nothing much happens. Some complex directors have made students go through the program and the like, but others let them off with a warning. I think that, in light of the two incidents this year, in-dorm violations should be cracked down on more harshly. Will it stop students from drinking? No. But will it fight against a culture of permissiveness toward underage drinking? Yes.
Excessive and accepted
Just a thought: I don't know exactly how long ago it was, but the age limit to drink alcohol use to be 18 (my parents did it). Do you think lowering the drinking age would help the binge drinking problem by preventing "closet drinkers?"
Excessive and accepted
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/aug/21/health/chi-oped0821chapmanaug21
This states it best!
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Learn the facts about Alcohol Dependence. For evidence-based information on Alcohol Dependence (Alcoholism) and Alcohol Abuse, please visit us at AlcoholAnswers.org
There are comprehensive sections for the Alcohol Dependent and the Families and Friends along with information on evidence-based treatment modalities - including medicated-assisted treatment – Resources, Alcohol & Health information, and Discussion Communities for support and information.
AlcoholAnswers.org
Excessive and accepted
Come on, Hawks, these families are in pain. Where is the midwest understanding and compassion midwest people had when I moved to Texas. I was there when the age was 18 for beer. The schol hall systems had keg parties everynight for Country Club week. We found older students to buy alcohol for us to hide in our rooms. We drank. I was a fraternity little sister. They drank. My sister was a Chi Omega (and I don't even want to tell you what she took away from the Greek system, in addition to anorexia). She drank (after the age was raised). But for SOME reason we did not drink to all this excess. Some did, sure. But I don't recall even one person dying between 78 and 82. Something was different. My son lost his best Aggie friend (hit by a truck after midnight) during finals week of freshman year. They were to be roomies sophomore year. I cannot tell you how many times I thought, if they just hadn't sent him to A&M he would still be alive. That is what is happening. It happened to three people at KU. Had they gone elsewhere, maybe, just maybe, things would have been different for them. Maybe at another school, someone would have known the signs and taken these young men to a hospital. My sister in law works at Lawrence Memorial.... It is only natural in grief to say "what if" and "what could have been done differently" and want to lay blame. Well believe me this blame lies in about 10 different places. Combine them and we have loss. I pray none of you ever lose a family member to a drunk driver or to binge drinking....especially a child. That is the greatest loss. Students overmedicate in times of stress (in college this is daily, right?) and alcohol is cheap and readily available. I believe that the Univeristy CAN do something. All the Univeristies can, but will the students cooperate? Will the fraternity and sorority nationals support it, along with the chapters? Will the parents set the example at home and quit trying to make there kids looks cool by hosting alcohol parties for their high school students, trying to relive their glory days? Will the dorms enforce? Will the schol halls enforce? Will the media stop glamorizing drinking? Will the rich alumni not pull all their funding so they can keep drinking at all their alumni parties? This is what we all have handed down to our children and grandchildren over time. Will our students have the support outlets in place when classes take their toll and finals loom? Will businesses stop trying to make money (legal or illegal) with addictive substances?
When you are get stumbling drunk and sick, ARE YOU HAVING FUN, YET? Do you look beautiful doing it? Is this what you need to score at that party...to drink or get your date drunk? Do you drink to overcome your shyness and become the life of the party? I could go on and on.
Excessive and accepted
DenverDad: No it doesn't. It's a pretty poorly thought-out opinion piece. But like Journey says, "Don't stop believing"
If you really want to demonstrate your point, you'll pull alcohol poisoning statistics for the U.S. and Europe, adjusted for population disparity.
Excessive and accepted
I would personally say that this article shows that a change in drinking culture is needed. The way to go about this is by lowering the drinking age and not making it even more restricted which is what "denverdad" wants to do.
When I was in England, I was amazed to find that every single residence hall in universities had a pub that served all forms of alcohol and were open pretty much all night long. Also, the drinking age over there is 18 and since making the pubs and clubs open 24/7, there has been a significant reduction in binge drinking.
Personally, I would like to see an experimental run like this at KU. Just make alcohol much more open instead of restricted, and lower the drinking age. That way, Alcohol loses its "forbidden fruit" mantra.
Although this is an ideal situation, I doubt that many of posters will understand where i'm coming from and just brush off my suggestions as naivety or brand me as a degenerate alcoholic.
Excessive and accepted
Clearly the only solution to this problem is making alcohol illegal. I think that would do everyone a lot of good.
Al
Excessive and accepted
This explains the reasons best to lower the drinking age. Even the chief of police in Boulder and Gordie Bailey's parents agree...you cant enforce a law that is un-forcible.
Drinking Age Debate by CBSNewsOnline
Excessive and accepted
What Al said. It's funny that marijuana is illegal, yet alcohol is not (nor cigarettes, which are also deadly). Have you ever hear of someone dying from too much weed? No way. Alcohol is damaging to the liver, as well as neurologically. Brain development continues into the early twenties, and alcohol can interrupt the development, have long-lasting effects on intellectual capabilities, and cause irreversible brain damage. Not to mention that it makes you gain weight..but hey, if everyone else is doing it, then it can't be bad, right?
Excessive and accepted
Is it just me or is DenverDad targeting the university and Lawrence. It just doesn't happen here. The statistics for the university and Lawrence area are sad and not fun to believe, but lets face the facts similar statistics can be found around the country. I KNOW it happens at CU - Boulder as well and at any other college campus. Please do not blame the university for your son's tragic death. Over all it is a good article that makes good points.
Excessive and accepted
Dear Jayhawks4life,
Here you go!
http://www.unodc.org/youthnet/youthnet_action_good_practice_alcohol_trends.html
"For example, in the UK a worrying number of young people binge drink -- 37 per cent of men and 23 per cent of women aged 16 to 24 regularly drink twice the recommended daily limits."
I suggest you look into facts and do research before you assert facts which aren't true
"A variety of policy measures are being recommended to deal with this trend, like increasing alcohol taxes, raising the legal purchase age, regulating the marketing of alcoholic beverages and regulating drinking establishments away from environments that encourage violence."
Gee, I guess the European ideas aren't all that "advanced".
You may want to do something unique and READ the research. Here..I am making it easy for you! This is from the Institute of Alcohol Studies.
http://www.ias.org.uk/resources/factsheets/adolescents.pdf
Excessive and accepted
To all those at KU, pleae go here and watch this film. This should be required viewing at all dorms, schol halls and greek houses. It should be required of all incoming students. It is on hulu.com and snagfilms.com http://www.gordie.org/home.aspx Please all of you....spread the word. Condolences to the family and friends of those KU men lost this year. We don't want to lose any more Jayhawks. Post this link on all your facebook pages and email it to all you know. Hope this loss is not alcohol related but so many are. Read the stats and be educated to the signs. Copy the signs and carry it in your wallet. Help yourself, and help your friends stay alive I met Gordie’s parents and Robin Wright Penn at AFI Dallas. To watch these parents view the police footage of their dead son in this film and know they do it over and over again, whereever they take it, just chilled me to the core and I cried deeply for their pain. This foundation is so worthwhile. It is trying to do so much good. Pleae spread the word by facebook, email, myspace, however you can do it.
Just so you all know, HAZE the movie is NOT about HAZING entirely but about the binge drinking culture. 1700 students die due annually to the drinking culture that is NOT THE SAME as when I was at KU. DenverDad, I read about the loss of your son and my heart goes out to you. I have a son in grad school working on his PhD and hear stories of binge drinking from his time at Texas A&M 03-07. It chills the blood. My daughter is a junior at UT - Austin (number one party school in the country after they won the National Championship in football). I hear the scary stories and see the pictures. Their Greek system has viewed this film and still it DOESN'T STOP. They have lost students too. Most campuses have. I have another who will go off to college in 2010. I know what it is like to fear getting that call. Binge Drinking is epidemic.
Excessive and accepted
There is no blame, people. It is a combination of factors. Parents don't realize what is happening on the campuses (because it is VERY different from when we were there), the WIDE acceptance and peer pressure to belong in a new environment. The Greek system where parents want their kids to have as much "fun" as they had when they were there, the passing of traditions and experiences to a group of young, naive, uneducated group of students who think they will live forever and "it won't happen to me". The Universities look away because the rich alums whose kids attend there want to withdraw $$ if the leadership chooses to try to crack down on the drinking by banning parties and sanctioning houses. There have been riots on campuses where administration has banned parties. The romance of drinking that is pushed by the media over and over again. It is everywhere, print ads, movies, and it is glamorized. But people we DO have a nationwide problem. One death is TOO MANY. The biggest thing that can be done is PARENTS, education yourselves by watching this film. This is happening EVERYWHERE
Denverdad, I am so sorry. I am ashamed at the comments on several forums that you have had to read from KU students. I am ashamed to call them fellow Jayhawks. They are not The UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS. The words of immature young adults who feel they have to defend what they value and what occupies their life with such magnitude, no matter who it takes from us. It is not KU, the university system, nor the kids, nor the parents, nor the Greek system all by itself. It is our culture and until we all say ENOUGH, it will go on. They are not parents and have had to bury the child they held as a baby 18-22 years ago. That pain is immesurable and never goes away. My heart and prayers go out to all the families and friends of those lost this year. Gordie.com will tell you how many that is so far. Read the webpage and take action……..for the life of your friends. KU. If you see yourself and your friends in this film??? MAKE A CHANGE NOW.
Excessive and accepted
Once again DenverDad, grow up and stop it with your rude sarcastic remarks. I AM sorry for your loss, but when you go and act like that I lose respect for you, sorry. Thank you 78Jayhawk for pointing out that this happens across the country, not just at KU. Does that make it right ... no way! But, please don't target the university as if its the only place it happens.
Excessive and accepted
I suggest that everyone on campus print out the following and post it on their community bulletins.
http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/da/binge_drinking.html
And Simplyamazing03, I guess you don't understand the obvious, MY SON DIED AT KU! And another son has died within two months of my son dieing from alcohol. Deaths on campus in 2009, KU=2 CU=0.
WAKE UP!!! KU has a problem! A DEADLY problem! Is this a problem only at KU, NO! It's all over the country for sure, but this is where my son died! I will not let this go away quietly. I will not move on until changes are made! YOU CAN COUNT ON IT!
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I understand that, and I knew the other person and I understand that it is HARD. KU wasn't the reason your son died though. It could have happened if he went anywhere. I just used CU as an example, and I'm not denying that there is a problem on campus here at KU. There are problems all over the country. It is a DEADLY problem and I understand that. Its great that you are trying to open the eyes of many people. Just a thought, maybe you should start with the people who were around your soon that night and educate them, which I understand that you are doing in a way targeting the Frats, etc. I guess you don't understand my points either. I've offered my condolences several times and you can't be anything but RUDE.
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Do you all see the scope of the problem? It has too many cancerous tendrils to remove all of it. But AWARENESS is a great place to start. Awareness and education. Make HAZE required viewing for ALL incoming college/univeristy students. My UT daughter had to take DIVERSITY training in order to enroll...but "I" was the one who sent her HAZE.
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Awareness is a great place to start. I understand it has been very hard for the friends and family, mistakes were made in the past and I know the understand that. I guess, as I college student (who doesn't even really drink, may I add) I have gotten use to it. Seeing people get trashed and act ridiculous happens every weekend. I value my life more and want to make something of myself so I choose not to participate in many activities. There is a problem with drinking on every college campus including KU, and it is a big problem. It's sad and its horrible that two people have passed away, two young men that had the potential to be great people. Education and promoting the problem is great, as much as I wish it would go somewhere and significant changes could be made, I doubt the will. It's sad, but true. I support DenverDad for raising awareness to the problem, but I do not support all his ideas or his rude comments. Thank people for their condolences. I'm trying to respect your own opinion but when you address me like a total idiot not knowing about the situation you lose a lot of respect from me. I'm sorry to say that, but it's true. Maybe KU is a great place to start this change of alcohol use in the Greek community, I'd love to see it change so it doesn't have to happen again. If you can get people to change thats awesome, kudos to you. Like I've said . . Sadly, I don't see it happening.
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http://gordie.org/Education/Gordie-Check.aspx
GO HERE. PRINT THIS. STICK IT IN YOUR PURSE OR WALLET.
Kids may not stop drinking but they can be saved if those around them save them. Gordie's frat brothers never called ANYONE. Not even his family. They just all went silent and hired lawyers. And he called them brothers and friends. If those are friends, who needs to spend 2700$ extra a year to have them. Buddy up. Care for each other as you would want to be cared for.
UDK??? I challenge you. Make a difference. Print this in your paper so all students can but and save. Better yet, include this in all future orientation packets from here on out.
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Simplyamazing03- thank you for your personal attitude. I wish all students had the same one. It is very solid and speaks to another potential cause of binge drinking. low self esteem. When I talk to my own children, I hear that they feel they have worked to hard to get into their programs (biomedsci and nursing-60 admitted a year in the entire state-harder than med school- UT will soon be 100% top 10% high school grads) to ruin their futures with a minor in possession, a DUI, or a confiscated fake id. Employers and selective undergrad/grad programs WILL check your background. They will look at your myspace or facebook at all those drunken party pictures. My two say they care deeply about their futures and went to their chosen schools with strong senses of self and a feeling that they were valuable and have something to contribute to the social good. Sure, they had insecurities and personal holes to fill and they did drink. Probably still do. This loss could still happen to me and I am not in denial. But staying sober and watching your party pals stumble and make fools of themselves is a good eye opener. It gets old fast. It is not worth your life or your future. My son spent several semesters dragging drunk frat brothers off of girls who didn't have a clue what was going on, they were so trashed ( at the 13th most conservative school in the country). He is not perfect in the realm of college drinking but this made him sick. On Sunday mornings the heavily Republican, Christian, campus would drag their hungover heads to chuch and then get trashed again on Thurs, Fri and Sat the next weekend. Hypocrisy. A&M holds Silver Taps (http://aggietraditions.tamu.edu/silvertaps.shtml) once a month for fallen students and an annual Muster service for all fallen alumni and students from the past year. Some are related to alcohol. (http://aggietraditions.tamu.edu/muster.shtml)
Many drink to hide insecurities, fears and to just plain escape life. Some do it because they can or they think it is fun.(some fun.) But students..care for yourself more than you love to drink. There are many ways to belong and this one has too high a price. If you watch HAZE you will see how you look on those nights you don't remember anything. Stay strong in your chosen faith. Hold your GOOD friends close, those who care that you aren't raped, killed driving your car home, or have some other type of accident. Learn to say NO or no more and find different things to have fun with and celebrate with. Everything in moderation. Binge drinkers you are NOT cool, grown up, elitist, or desirable to anyone.
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Thank you. I appreciate that. : ) Idk, I just don't understand it. I have drank before, never to the point where I was 'drunk' though. I'm very proud of myself for that. I always try and let me friends who do drink know if they need anything not to hesitate to call. I just want to be successful with my life and not take for granted my opportunity to go to such a great school. Coming from a small town I was shocked and appalled when I first moved to the dorms. I knew drinking would happen, but not to the extent that it does. It's very sad. Please don't think I'm saying that other people including Wren & Hawkins are not successful because I'm positive that is not the truth. I just don't want an unfortunate accident like that to happen to me so I can't fulfill my life's goals. I wish people would wake up and realize the consequences of a night of careless drinking. Congratulations on your children's personal successes 78jayhawk. It's great that you have spoken to your children on the issue. My parents have not, and I kind of wish they would have even though I made the decision not to drink heavily.
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We have two problems related to alcohol at KU:
1) KU students have developed an unbelievably accepting social attitude for getting drunk. Even if people aren't dying or getting hurt, what the hell is so appealing about losing one's mental faculties and making a complete ass of oneself? That's hardly something to be proud of. Have some self-respect and sense of dignity.
2) The University does not fully recognize its social responsibility towards preventing alcohol abuse. Having been intimately involved with Student Housing as well as other organizations on campus, I do believe that the University does a reasonably good job of promoting alcohol hazard awareness as well as preventing alcohol abuse in University-owned buildings. However, the Greeks repeatedly manage to slip below the radar in this regard. If the University was genuinely concerned about alcohol-related safety, they would take serious steps towards cracking down on alcohol abuse in Greek life. This would be extremely unpopular, but the fact remains that Greek life facilitates extraordinary irresponsibility.
Let's face reality: we are all a bunch of stupid kids. For the first time in our lives, we are experiencing what it means to truly make our own decisions without parents looking over our shoulders. I've done some incredibly stupid things and you all have probably done stupid things too. The bad news is, we are all influencing each other in more negative ways than positive ways (i.e., good old peer pressure). At least Student Housing has positive influences that increase levels of social responsibility; however, I don't see any of this in the Greek community. The University needs to recognize this and increase its efforts to curb alcohol abuse among Greeks.
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Denverdad,
The articles that you linked me to are full of humbug. The truth is that anyone can interpret any statistics to suit his or her own political purpose (including myself). Note in my previous comment I didn't include hard numbers, I included observations from people from foreign countries whom I have met and asked how they're drinking culture compared to that of the US. Maybe, I was flawed in my reasoning, but the obersvation I have come to in judging from people over there is less emphasis on going out to just get drunk, but more of an emphasis on meeting up with people and enjoying a relaxed atmosphere with friends and family by having a pint of beer or bottle of wine.
Denverdad, have you also been to a foreign country and have had a beer or any alcohol in a foreign country? If so you know that drinking culture over there is much different then the US, no matter what the statistics say. Also, it seems that through your opinions and statistics you seem to be neo-prohibitionist (although this is understandable....my deepest sympathies for your loss...I can't imagine what you must be going through as a person...so for that I am truly sorry).
Anyway, although there are people who do abuse alcohol, what about those of us like myself who don't, and just enjoy it in good company? Should we be forced to quit drinking? Should outside people like MADD and other grassroots anti-drinking organizations target our civil liberties by telling us what we can and can't put in our bodies? I have an answer to that: No! We shouldn't let people infringe upon our right to drink. This is America, and as an 21 year old law abiding adult, I have the right to put alcohol into my body. Notice I didn't say your body, I said MY BODY; and I didn't say anyone under 21's body, I said my 21 year old, adult American, law abiding body. It's my body and you and other like minded people have no right to tell me what I can't or can put into it. I hope that all the neo-prohibitionsit people out there realize that they are infringing upon our civil liberties by trying to regulate or control what we can put into our bodies.
Sincerely,
Jayhawks4life
p.s. Denverdad, if we did ban all alcohol on campus and in Lawrence, what about marijuana, surely weed is less harmful than alcohol so it would be ok, right?
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Jayhawks4life- why do you need numbers and data when the cemetaries are adding 1700 bodies a year to their acreage? Are those not enough numbers for you? Americans just cannot handle this freedom responsibly, especially our youth. I applaud the change Gordie's parents are trying to make and any positive change Mr. Wren can accomplish. Mr. Wren, do not be discouraged in your efforts. Sorry to say when people abuse personal freedoms perhaps they should be re-evalutaed. 4Life, I hope your parents never have to bury you due to alcohol or that you have to carry the coffin of a loved one or friend, like my son did at age 19. There are many ways to die from alcohol, even if a drop never touches your lips. Maybe then your perspective will adjust just a tad. May your 21 year old alcohol filled body that is having a relaxed time with friends never get behind the wheel of a car and kill a child or experience a drunk killing your child. Do you fight for his right to drink? I imagine so. In the end, how much do we value LIFE? Enough to be brave enough to affect changes in our college environments? In the end, it is illegal in Kansas to drink under the age of 21. Arrest them all.
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78jayhawk and DenverDad,
I cannot begin to comprehend the pain that you must feel, so I will not pretend to try. However, in the interests of promoting constructive discourse, I must point out that I do not believe that your efforts towards banning alcohol will be fruitful. However, I think you might have better luck with the following ideas:
1) Lowering the blood-alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05 2) Stiffer penalties for drunk driving 3) Mandatory community service for underage drinkers, whether caught through law enforcement or through University Housing 4) Heavy sanctions for Greek communities that provide alcohol to underage members 5) Increased alcohol hazard education in University life
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"Americans just cannot handle this freedom responsibly"??? What the hell are you talking about? I understand this is a tragedy, but come on this whole post is getting rediculous.
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DenverDad says -
And Simplyamazing03, I guess you don't understand the obvious, MY SON DIED AT KU! And another son has died within two months of my son dieing from alcohol. Deaths on campus in 2009, KU=2 CU=0.
WAKE UP!!! KU has a problem! A DEADLY problem! Is this a problem only at KU, NO! It's all over the country for sure, but this is where my son died! I will not let this go away quietly. I will not move on until changes are made! YOU CAN COUNT ON IT!
Your son died because he drank way too much. The other kid died because he fell of a roof.
Sounds like personal problems to me. What the hell are you doing on a roof? What the hell are you doing drinking 12 beers and chugging whiskey by yourself in a room after your friends put you to bed?
These are not KU, Lawrence, or anyone elses problems. The only people to blame here are the people who died.
I drink, but I don't climb on roofs, or drink alone in a room after "getting put to bed."
As soon as you admit to yourself that your son caused his own death, you will be able to move on and not blame everyone else for a tragedy that your son, and your son alone could have prevented.
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I strongly agree with wrburns's suggestions.
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Again, DenverDad, it's time to put some data where your mouth is. What you linked was "kids are getting drunk in europe" and what I need to see to confirm the legal drinking age should stay where it is would be something like "drunk kids are dying left and right in europe" Cause the only place I see that happening is here. Well, except that one russian guy who drank so much vodak he died.
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DenverDad, I feel terrible for your loss but I do question some ways you are going about things. This is not just a KU problem. I believe your son had a real problem with alcohol. You cannot put the blame on the fraternity for your sons actions. I lived in the dorms my freshman year and it can take a lot to get kicked out of the dorms. But you obviously didnt care that he had at least 3 seperate incidents with alcohol. You came down to visit and visited The Hawk with your son. You understood that he was underage but I would be willing to bet anything that you bought at least one drink/shot for your son on that trip. What parent who goes out w/ their child not buy a drink for them? The same stuff that you are accusing other people of doing, you did your self. Once again, im not trying to put blame on you but I feel that you are throwing blame in places that do not need it.
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So essentially what everyone is saying is -
DenverDad, we are sorry for your loss, it sucks, but take some responsibility, get on with your life, and stop criticizing college students for doing the same things you did, not only when you were in college, but when you visited your son at college.
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Just let DenverDad be. Who cares if he is calling out KU and the Greek system unnecessarily? Let the man vent. His pain is palpable in each of his posts. The fact that some people get off on putting him down is sickening. Ignore it if you don't like it.
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There are many 'what ifs' and 'if i'd only's to consider, but making alcohol illegal will not make it stop (read: prohibition=FAIL)
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I think the drinking age should be lowered to 16 in the home with parents. The majority of alcohol related problems stem from kids not knowing how to deal with alcohol in a mature way. In Europe, binge drinking makes you look like an idiot, because people show their kids how o handle it at an early age. Of course drinking is out of control at a college campus. These freshman have been under parental rule and strict enforcement for the better part of two decades, and now have no limitations whatsoever. Thats like the government coming out and telling everyone that stealing is legal.
Its not the university, its not the greek system, its our culture of excess as americans. We eat too much, we drink too much, we smoke too much, and we buy too much worthless crap.
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haha that kid with big ears in the video looks like Alfred E. Newman
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I respect DenverDad and agree with JConnor. Everyone has their right to voice their opinion, and a lot of what he says is dead on.
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I'd like to see statistics from the rest of the Big 12 and NCAA with regards to drinking.
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I would like to apologize to Denver Dad for the insensitive idiots who are being educated at KU! It is completely tasteless to debate a grieving dad! And for what? To "Fight for your right to party!" People are dying, there is a problem, who among you are offering solutions? Alcoholism is a disease, if left untreated it can be deadly. There is help. I expressed my opinion at the alcohol abuse forum on April 9th. So if you are not part of the solution, why not use your debating skills elsewhere.
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This is the most biased article i have ever read, wheres the story about all the people that get drunk blacked out every day and do it with in the safe confines of their home and/or bar, you go to college, your gonna drink, instead of punishing people for drinking which i can tell you right now, will never work ever in this city, we should be promoting safe drinking, like making sure your not letting someone that is clearly to drunk to make a terrible decision or help them in anyway possible, instead of writing on their face or screwing with them in any other way, we should be taking care of them. And we Can blame Drinking all we want for these problems, but thats the equilivalent of saying that guns kill people, when we all know its people that kill people
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