Where are you on Friday nights during the fall and spring semester? If you’re a student that lives near the campus, chances are you’re playing on or around the College Hill. The usually void area at the corner of 23rd and College Street fills up on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings with students searching for a good time. As the typical college student myself who likes to drink and spend several hundreds of dollars each year on the activity, I’ve seen alcohol bring a lot of good times, shenanigans, and unforgettable stories into my life. I’ve also experience the dark side of tickets, disappointment, and unnecessary problems. Alcohol can ruin the lives of our friends and make it easy for people to make bad decisions. To further examine how alcohol affects the lives of students at this campus, I decided to follow two University of Northern Iowa students around on what they consider a typical Friday night. I will be sharing their individual accounts and reveal information discovered through further research that every college student should be aware of: alcohol related crimes and punishments, violence and sexual abuse, how alcohol can affect your future, and what it means to be a responsible drinker. In this story I am not opposing the consumption of alcohol. I am only trying to shed light on the darker side to make you, as a reader, a more responsible drinker. Jesse The first person I followed has been one of my friends since I came to UNI. His name is Jesse and he shares a taste for dark beers and likes to brag about his skill at the game of quarters. He is currently a junior and has been able to drink for just over a year now. Our night started out around 5:00pm when I went over to his house to ask a few questions about his drinking history. Jesse says that he’s been a drinker since age 16, but had his first taste at 12. “One of my friend’s grandparents kept liquor in his shed. My first taste of alcohol was Blackberry Brandy. I thought it tasted like crap and never thought I’d drink again,” Jesse said. “But when I was a sophomore in high school, it was hard not to be involved in drinking. On Fridays and Saturdays, we would all meet up in a parking lot. One would drive around on gravel while the rest drank.” He added, “It’s not like I needed the pressure to drink though. I liked the buzz.” We headed out to the Hill around 7:30pm and headed off to Sharky’s. “I don’t really like Sharky’s because of all the underage kids,” Jesse said. Sharky’s is now one of the few bars on the Hill that allows people under the age of 21. We were going there because his girlfriend of just over a year was hanging out with her friends. On the way, we were meeting with people who were leaving FAC (Friday After Class) and clearly intoxicated. We passed a guy and girl on their way towards the bus stop. The girl was clearly upset and kept telling the guy, presumably her boyfriend that she was tired of how he got when he drank. It was apparent that he had been flirting and dancing with other girls and that their evening would continue in argument. Once we got to Sharky’s, there was already a line and we had to wait about five minutes to get in. Upon entering, we were greeted by Jesse’s girlfriend, Sara and her two friends, all of them were only 20 years old. Jesse went to the bar with his girlfriend and I went to sit down with the two girls. I told them what I was doing and asked if they would like to be a part of the interview. Upon agreement, I asked if they had been drinking at all in the bar. One of them replied, “Nope. We’ve been pre-gaming at our apartment since three.” The other replied, “I don’t want to get caught drinking at a bar if I can help it.” Upon Jesse and Sara arriving back to the table, I saw they were arguing about something and Jesse was drinking a harder than usual drink. I didn’t press the issue there, but waited until he finished the drink and told me he wanted to leave. Without telling his girlfriend bye, we left the bar and headed down to the Hydrant. On the way, I inquired as to what caused the tension between him and Sara. He filled me in that Sara and her two friends were partying earlier with their neighbors, who happened to be guys, and that she has made out with her two girl friends after being convinced to by the neighbors. He was upset that she agreed to do it. “I’m offended that she would think I’d be okay with it, but it makes me mad that she has so little respect for herself,” he said. “I feel like I wouldn’t be able to trust her if she went and partied out of town or something.” After explaining his frustration, he followed up with the typical, “I don’t want to deal with it right now. I need to drink something.” We met up with some of his friends that I was unfamiliar with at the Hydrant around 8:00pm. We found them sitting at the bar. Jesse told them about Sara and everyone insisted that he take some shots with them. Once the five shots were down a pitcher of beer was ordered and the evening continued. Jesse kept pulling out his phone and texting at least once every five minutes. I asked him why he kept getting on his phone, and he said that he and Sara were texting and arguing. Just like the people on our way down to Sharky’s, it was obvious that a night of disagreement was likely in his future. I wished him good luck and told him things would likely work out. I had to get on my way and meet with another student subject, Erin, who was going to a house party that night. I left the Hydrant around 9:00pm, but on my way out noticed something slightly common and always disturbing. There was an older man sitting in one of the corner booths obviously staring at some of the girls across from him. I hoped that he would continue only to stare and not carry out any of the potential thoughts that could be going through his head at the time. Erin I met up with Erin and her two friends, a guy and a girl, at her house. I had met the two friends before and knew that the girl had been slightly promiscuous on past occasions when she drank, so I was curious as to where the night would lead her. They were all of legal drinking age and hadn’t been drinking anything yet. Remembering the two underage girls from Sharky’s, I asked them if they were going to pre-game before they left for their house party. “We don’t need to anymore,” Erin said. “It’s kind of pointless to get wasted before we go out, since we’ll be doing plenty of drinking while we are actually partying.” Since I was going to be the only sober one all night, I volunteered myself as designated driver. We headed out around 10:30pm and went to the party. There were two kegs at the house and there were between 30 and 40 people there already. Erin’s night started out with some light drinking and socializing around the keg and slowly moved to some beer pong. After winning the first and losing the next, her cheeks were getting a little rosy, telling me that she was definitely starting to feel a little buzzed. After losing, we went upstairs to play a game of Circle of Death and Ride the Bus. After finishing the two games, and noticing that Erin was definitely intoxicated, it was around 12:30am. I went to make a walk-around of the party and see what kind of shape everyone was in. I found a guy and girl making out and groping each other on a couch in the basement, somebody filling water cups for beer pong, and a guy doing a keg stand. It seemed like the stereotypical house party. When I came back to the room where I left Erin, I discovered that she was not there and neither was her girl friend that we came with. After asking around, I discovered they were outside. Apparently, the girl making out with the guy on the couch was Erin’s friend. Erin had caught the two going upstairs and stopped her. Apparently, Erin was trying to tell her friend that the guy was rumored to have herpes and she needed to be careful. Her friend started telling Erin to stay out of her business and that she needed to stop being so worried all the time. Once the discussion ended, Erin’s friend went upstairs and Erin went back to the party. I drove Erin and her guy friend back to her place around 3:30am. Her other friend wanted to stay with the guy she had gone upstairs with and have us get her in the morning. Examination of Events By following just two people around for one Friday evening, it was obvious that alcohol is a very potent ingredient in making poor decisions. The otherwise good judgment of Sara, Jesse’s girlfriend, and that of Erin’s friend were both led astray that night. I saw myself in their situations, just as I’m sure many others can as well. Acting as a witness to the dangerous effects of alcohol helped shed light on the fact that people need to understand that alcohol will only tongues and make bad decisions more likely. There is nothing wrong with drinking, except when it is done in an irresponsible manner or performed to cover up some sort of negative feeling. Charges & Punishments Craig Berte, Cedar Falls Police Captain, was able to shed some much needed light on alcohol and crime here in the Cedar Falls. Most alcohol related calls are made between 10pm and 7am, and generally, after bar close, there is often an increased activity of these crimes. The police will commonly be called to a place where intoxicated people are fighting with their spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend or with bar staff/security. Alcohol only intensifies and brings out those angry feelings and makes people say or do things they wouldn’t normally say. Aside from being called out to a scene, police will often look for people that draw attention to them and act guilty in their presence. This includes underage people that ditch their drinks or quickly move away from police. People who get arrested for drunk driving are in the same boat. Berte said, “they have done something to draw attention from the police; speeding, squealing tires, car accidents, no seat belt, harassing the McDonalds staff, etc.” In Cedar falls, there are two crimes that come to a tie in terms of their high arrest rate and frequency, and are by far, the most common call: Theft and Operating While Intoxicated (OWI). OWI itself is usually around 300 people each year in jail. Drinking, whether done legally or illegally, carries various risks and potential punishments for those who abuse it. In speaking with Captain Berte I have compiled a list of the crimes and potential punishments that may result from careless use of alcohol.
More information about specific crime rates can be found at www.cedarfalls.com (click the “Departments” tab, choose “Police Department” link, then select “Records.” Effects on Students Mark Rowe, Violence Prevention Education Coordinator at UNI, was kind enough to share information regarding the impact that alcohol had on students at UNI. He noted the academic, physical, emotional, and legal ramifications. In the academic setting that is college, Mark noted, “Alcohol is far too often cited with negatively impacting overall grades in a class and poor grades on an exam/paper/project, or as a reason for missing classes.” Students need to find a balance in their life, which is often difficult, but not impossible. Physically, there are many unintended consequences that occur with students. Many violent or sexual crimes are committed by college age students who carelessly use alcohol, approximately 75 to 90%. There is also the risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections and unintentional pregnancies increases when students participate in unplanned and unprotected sex that is more likely after drinking. Also, the sometimes funny, but never fun, reality of actual physical harm like falls or other accidents is heightened when alcohol is added to any scenario. There are many emotional setbacks that can impact a student’s life in conjunction with other effects. For instance, a perpetrator or sexual assault may feel guilt or remorse for their illegal and immoral act. If they don’t feel guilt, then they may be constantly paranoid or scared that they will get caught. The victim will undeniably feel shame and be pained forever by the memory of what was done to them without consent. The bottom line is that the more careless you are when drinking, the more risk you take on bringing unhealthy emotional issues such as regret, anger, jealousy, guilt, and shame into your life. The legal ramifications of drinking, having been outlined previously with Captain Berte are very prevalent on ours and any other college campus. Every student attending this university has agreed to follow the conduct policy of the institution. Any violation of that agreement may be grounds for a campus judicial officer intervening. Students not only run the risk of running up legal fines and blemishes on their records outside of the campus, they may be kicked off campus or out of the university if they continually violate the Student Conduct Code. Mark Rowe recommends that any students suffering from alcohol abuse/dangerous drinking practices, or any other form of substance abuse, know the resources available for them. A first stop can be the website (www.uni.edu/subabuse) which is new and has a wealth of information. You can also contact Substance Abuse Services via phone at (319) 273-2137. The university does not want to see its students succumb to the dangers of alcohol or substance abuse and has made these services for anyone willing to seek help. Drinking on Campus Amanda Mesirow, the Residence Life Coordinator (RLC) of Dancer Hall was willing to explain her experience with drinking issues related to the dorms. Mesirow said, “Alcohol education is a large piece of my job.” Many of the misconduct issues within the hall are alcohol related and she takes proactive steps about promoting healthy alcohol use among students. She holds her Resident Assistants to high ethical standards and encourages them to enforce policies in and around the hall. There are different punishments that students can expect as a result of illegal or dangerous drinking practices. Because UNI has an education-based conduct system, the citations can range from “not in violation” to “expulsion.” The minimum sanction for a violation is three months probation. During this time, the student must complete one or more educational activities and may have to complete AlcoholEdu (online alcohol education course). Each person’s situation is different and is examined on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, one person’s punishment may not be the same as another. Her interaction’s with students regarding alcohol take place after they have been documented for a violation. Mesirow noted, “In nearly all cases, the students are respectful of staff and take responsibility for their actions.” In her time at UNI, she has seen students learn remarkable lessons about the effects of alcohol in their lives. Many of the students also come to visit her before she sends them a letter regarding the incident. Meeting with the RLC and counselors after a conduct violation is a way for the students to understand that a change needs to be made in their lifestyle. “Obviously, the ideal is for students to follow policies. However, I would much rather meet with a student who was documented for alcohol than to have to call an ambulance for a student who drank way too much,” Mesirow noted. As a result, her conduct hearings mainly focus on the safe use of alcohol. Responsibility With all of this information at hand and the personal stories of Jesse and Erin, it should be obvious that responsible versus reckless drinking habits should be endorsed. Being drunk does not provide you with an excuse to do something you would otherwise hesitate to. We all need to take care and make sure our friends stay safe and don’t get in trouble. That trouble can come in the form of sexual abuse, bar fights, driving under the influence, throwing disorderly house parties, fighting with boy/girlfriends, etc. Understanding your own limits is the first step. I am not saying you shouldn’t go out to drink and have a great time. But if you are acting irresponsible with alcohol, it will most definitely get back to you, and the consequences can come in multiple forms—monetary, emotional, or physical—and will not be something you want to bear. So, fellow panthers, don’t just think before you drink, think while you drink and don’t give into that careless state that is so easy to fall in to. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||