You don't need a fraternity to binge drink

Cube TX · #1 07-12-2006, 04:22 PM

I often heard the non-greeks on campus, as well as other people not even students at the university, referring to Greek letter organizations as being dangerous because they promote drinking and other behavior. What I came to realize is that the vast majority of the drunks I knew were never in fraternities or even went to college.

I'm not here to pretend that I'm a saint. I myself used to drink way too much and was lucky to never get more than a single DWI and one night in jail. I even went to AA, as required by my probation. When I converted to Christianity I quit drinking for the most part and haven't had a drink since my honeymoon back in September 2005. My own chapter had two tragedies. One brother and friend had a car accident while drunk driving and speeding in 1998 and broke his neck when his car flipped. He still can't see out of one eye and is a paraplegic. After I'd graduated another brother died in a car accident near campus. This was in 2002. Though no toxicology report was ever released I know he was coming from a place where many students met to drink.

Anyway, my point is that the Greek organizations are the ones who seem to get more of the press when a death from overdrinking occurs. I live in El Paso, TX, which is about 40 miles away from Las Cruces, NM. At NMSU two students died in the 2004-05 school year from binge drinking. The first, Steven Judd, was a Delta Chi who had recently been elected president. He overdrank on his 21st birthday and went into a coma and later died. The newspaper articles were quick to mention the fraternity and noted that it "wasn't known" if his drinking was part of a hazing ritual. Later articles stated that he was pressured by his Delta Chi brothers to drink more.

NMSU launched a bunch of alcohol awareness programs and used Judd as their posterboy. They spoke of keeping students from doing this again. Four months later Chris Berry, another NMSU student, died on his 22nd birthday... from binge drinking. Berry was not in a fraternity. All of NMSU's supposed awareness went out the window. Since this one couldn't be blamed on a Greek letter organization we never heard much about it again.

Tom Earp · #2 07-12-2006, 04:37 PM

So, My question is?

Is It Greek Letter Organizations or just getting away from Parents?

I am going to be a Big Boy/Girl and show them?

Cube TX · #3 07-12-2006, 05:43 PM

That's what I think. It has more to do with being away from mom and dad and trying to act "cool" and/or "grown up".

macallan25 · #4 07-12-2006, 05:47 PM

Thats why alcohol age should be changed.

flirt5721 · #5 07-12-2006, 11:06 PM

As actually being from the NMSU campus all the alcohol awareness didn't really help. I know a lot of people that are not in GLOs that drink more then the ones in them. I'm always around guys due to my major, so yeah I've seen plenty of them drink and say that they can out drink any Greek member. I think that most of the students that are not from the TX/NM area come to NMSU or UTEP because it is so close to the Mexican boarder. Many see it as I'm away from my parents and all I need is my ID and $10 down in Mexico to drink as much as I want. Down in Mexico clubs offer $10 Drink and Drown. Most students, even before they become Greek, enjoy First Thursday in which many of them get trashed.

And as for Steven Judd the media blew that way out of porportion. There is so much more to the story then just him celebrating his 21st.

shinerbock · #6 07-12-2006, 11:14 PM

I'm not sure how many people know this, but binge drinking is a core value of IFC fraternities. Check your by-laws, its in there.

Cube TX · #7 07-12-2006, 11:16 PM

Well, I'm a bit older so I remember the $5 Drink n' Drown in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Later it went up to $8. What's funny is that the drinks are all watered down. Most 18 year olds who can down 20-30 drinks in a night in Mexico don't realize this when they go drinking on this side of the border. When they try to drink the same amount here they get trashed by their 6th drink.

Steve Judd was from El Paso and went to Franklin High, so I'm sure he went to Juarez a fair number of times when he was in high school. I feel really badly for him to this day. His ex-girlfriend was a girl I coached and trained.

My younger brother went to NMSU and drank like a fish when he was there. He and his friends were not Greeks either. I remember the local television stations and newpapers making a HUGE deal out of poor Steve Judd. They pretty much forgot about Chris Berry after a short time though.

Cube TX · #8 07-13-2006, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shinerbock

I'm not sure how many people know this, but binge drinking is a core value of IFC fraternities. Check your by-laws, its in there.

Somehow this joke seems less funny when discussing the deaths of young men.

macallan25 · #9 07-13-2006, 04:00 PM

its not a joke.

Tom Earp · #10 07-13-2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macallan25

its not a joke.

You are absolutely correct on that point.

I never understood in My College Days a reason to get screwed by drinking? Not saying I never did, but it was not pouring booze down My Gullet to get messed up.

But, I always had Brothers who cared enough to take care of Me if I needed it!

macallan25 · #11 07-13-2006, 09:32 PM

I don't binge drink, I just drink every day.

shinerbock · #12 07-13-2006, 11:13 PM

We drank incredible amounts of alcohol in my chapter, and we never had a problem. Thus, I propose that schools outside of the SEC and a few others (Texas, of course, W&L, etc...) attend a mandatory alcohol class. In this class, we will slowly raise the tolerance of these young men, and while doing so wane them from their smirnoff ice addictions. The course schedule will be something like this....
Week One: An Introduction to Bourbon: Save the Rum for the Girls
Week Two: Beer: If you're a Man, and you're Drinking a 12 ounce Beverage from a Clear Bottle, Kill Yourself.
Week Three: TEST-Drink a 12 pack without throwing up or doing stupid things
Week Four: Advanced Class-Scotch
Week Five: Its Beer Pong, Not Beirut, and Put the Funnel Away, Loser
Week Six: Final Exam- Drink a Fifth of Jim Beam and a 12 pack over the course of a day, and perform a rendition of The Road Goes On Forever. If you don't know the words, you fail, and must proceed to take Good Music 101.

macallan25 · #13 07-14-2006, 12:30 AM

Week Four is an absolute must.

I would add an extra week before the final.

Week 7: Proper bar attire/drink and shot ordering/conduct....

shinerbock · #14 07-14-2006, 12:34 AM

Well before week one we'd have orientation, which would include trips to RL stores and Brooksbrothers.com, a "how to get the gel out" seminar, and group bonfire in which everyone would throw their jean shorts, fitted hats, and glow sticks in.

kerry4prez · #15 07-14-2006, 04:59 AM

guys that is just pathetic. you should not let alcohol interfere with brotherhood events and community service.