Choose an area:

« back to columns
« back to fall 2000 columns

Take responsibility for your actions

You deserve it.

Those are the three words that I'd say to each of the 30-some students busted at the off-campus party on Saturday night and cited for underage drinking, among other things. You knew you were breaking the law when you made the choice to drink, so you deserve everything that you get.

And for the people that risked their lives going through the trees and jumping from buildings to escape the police, I have some advice for you: your life is more important than the citation you might get.

I wish someone had given Matthew Miller that advice before he fell off a cliff at a fraternity house in the summer of 1997. As the cops were busting the party Miller was at, he apparently got scared and ran out the back only to fall off a 90-foot cliff to his death, all apparently because he didn't want to get busted. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that he wasn't even drinking. A death like that never should have happened. If any good came out of that tragedy, it is the lesson that it doesn't make sense to run from the police.

But you'll say, "I didn't want to get caught." Well, my answer is very simple: don't drink if you're underage. If you don't want to get cited for breaking the law, simply don't break the law. That's so simple even a child could grasp that concept.

Now I am not naive enough to believe that college students won't drink underage. I understand that's just how it was, how it is, and how it will always be. I get that, I don't always agree with it, but I understand it nonetheless.

Here's the part I don't understand. If college students feel they're mature enough to drink alcohol, then surely they must be mature enough to take responsibility for their actions. I mean, that would only make sense. One wouldn't do something if they weren't willing to take responsibility for any consequences, right? Wrong.

This citation goes on your permanent record. For education majors, this is a double kiss of death because schools look at that when you are looking for a job. While an underage drinking citation won't stop you from getting a job, it certainly won't help you. If I were an employer, I'd wonder why this person ever got him or herself into this situation in the first place.

What seems to be the common trend among college students is to blame absolutely everyone else but themselves. It wasn't their fault because the police shouldn't have busted the party. Because, as everyone knows, the police won't let students have any fun.

If you blame the police for your underage drinking citation, you have to be the most weak-minded person I've ever met in my life. If you honestly believe the police are to blame for your now-tarnished permanent record, then you might as well drop out of school. Seriously, do it. You'll make room for the rest of the population who can take responsibility for their actions and act like adults.

I'm not saying you can't drink alcohol and have a good time. Again, I don't endorse underage drinking, but I know it happens and that it's a big part of college life. The key is to be responsible and think about the situations you are getting into. Think about the potential of a particular party being busted. But more importantly, if you misjudge, be ready to face the consequences that come with breaking the law. There's no two ways around it.

Whether it's underage drinking or speeding, every time you break the law, you are taking a calculated risk. You know that you could be busted for your actions, but you may do it anyway. That's always your choice. If you make an adult decision to break the law, then you'd better also make an adult decision to face the consequences if you get caught. It's just that simple.

The police aren't busting parties because it's fun for them, they're doing it because it's their job. They are fulfilling the responsibilities of their job just like anyone else. Not every part of their job is fun, but it's necessary to keep order. They could bust a party nearly every night of the week, but they don't. They just wait until a situation gets out of hand before they step in.

It's good to hear that university officials, like President Jessica Kozloff, are attempting to get the message to freshmen. And while I applaud their efforts, we all know that no amount of talk and advice will ever stop college students from drinking underage. It's just a fact of life and we all understand it. We don't all like it, but we accept it.

What course of action is left for the students that were cited this weekend and all those other weekends past? Very simply, own up to your actions. Admit what you did was wrong. Learn a lesson and be all the wiser the next time you want to go out drinking. Take the punishment given to you and make this a positive experience.

Make this event one you tell your children about in 20 years as the event that really gave you a wake-up call and made you realize that you are the only one responsible for your actions. After all, college is all about experimentation and learning from your mistakes. Make this a new beginning, a second chance. You deserve it.