Drinking game bans sensible in theory, ineffective in practice
Beauregard, Liz
Issue date: 11/8/05 Section: Opinion
In an attempt to curb excessive drinking, Loyola administrators bans the playing of beer pong, (or Beirut, if you prefer) while on campus.
Regardless of whether or not you are of age, you can be fined up to $250 if caught playing. The rationale behind this rule is that participation in the game results in drinking too much alcohol too quickly, which leads to dangerous behavior.
I think most students would find it hard to disagree with this reasoning. Because of the small amount in each cup, you rarely notice how much you are drinking while playing. And we forget how fast we are drinking those two beers per side. So, beer pong does have the capacity to encourage excessive drinking.
But there is a flaw in the rule that bans it.
Since I am 21, I am allowed to line up shots of tequila and pound them all night. As long as it isn't any sort of game, I can chug as many handles as I please. What is the point of the "no beer pong policy" if excessive drinking can occur outside of drinking games?
The stated goal is to curb drinking to make it as safe as possible, but this is not the effect it has. Yes, some beer pong games do get a little too intense and some people get way too into it, as if it is a sport. But no one really enjoys these high-intensity games, or the people that play them that way. And yes, most of us end up drunk at the end of the night, but very few of us engage in dangerous or destructive behaviors. Most of us just want to have fun with our friends while drinking, and playing a game like beer pong is a great way to do that. For the most part, we still drink at our own pace and can stop playing at any point.
So, in terms of dangerous drinking, playing beer pong is just like doing shots. There is the possibility of excess, but it is up to each individual to pace him/herself and to decide when he or she needs to stop.
In fact, this is how all drinking is done. You decide when to stop drinking wine with dinner; it's up to you to decide how many beers to have at the ballpark or cookout; and so on. Adults are expected to control their own drinking because they are responsible for themselves.
Why don't the administrators trust us? The answer is simple: a minority of the students here has ruined it for the majority. These are the people who play beer pong like meatheads, pressuring people to drink more and demanding that the losers' cups are finished before the next game can start.
These are the people who puke on the bridge and find it hilarious to destroy emergency exit signs.
These are the people we all laugh at in The Greyhound Police Blotter. But police blotter enjoyment aside, stop ruining it for the rest of us! Show some restraint while drinking. It isn't a race to see who gets hammered first. And when you are drunk, be a little more mature and don't damage property or stiff a cab driver. Each of us is responsible for our own behavior, especially when it comes to drinking.
Maybe, once we all start acting like the adults we are, the administration will start treating us that way.
Regardless of whether or not you are of age, you can be fined up to $250 if caught playing. The rationale behind this rule is that participation in the game results in drinking too much alcohol too quickly, which leads to dangerous behavior.
I think most students would find it hard to disagree with this reasoning. Because of the small amount in each cup, you rarely notice how much you are drinking while playing. And we forget how fast we are drinking those two beers per side. So, beer pong does have the capacity to encourage excessive drinking.
But there is a flaw in the rule that bans it.
Since I am 21, I am allowed to line up shots of tequila and pound them all night. As long as it isn't any sort of game, I can chug as many handles as I please. What is the point of the "no beer pong policy" if excessive drinking can occur outside of drinking games?
The stated goal is to curb drinking to make it as safe as possible, but this is not the effect it has. Yes, some beer pong games do get a little too intense and some people get way too into it, as if it is a sport. But no one really enjoys these high-intensity games, or the people that play them that way. And yes, most of us end up drunk at the end of the night, but very few of us engage in dangerous or destructive behaviors. Most of us just want to have fun with our friends while drinking, and playing a game like beer pong is a great way to do that. For the most part, we still drink at our own pace and can stop playing at any point.
So, in terms of dangerous drinking, playing beer pong is just like doing shots. There is the possibility of excess, but it is up to each individual to pace him/herself and to decide when he or she needs to stop.
In fact, this is how all drinking is done. You decide when to stop drinking wine with dinner; it's up to you to decide how many beers to have at the ballpark or cookout; and so on. Adults are expected to control their own drinking because they are responsible for themselves.
Why don't the administrators trust us? The answer is simple: a minority of the students here has ruined it for the majority. These are the people who play beer pong like meatheads, pressuring people to drink more and demanding that the losers' cups are finished before the next game can start.
These are the people who puke on the bridge and find it hilarious to destroy emergency exit signs.
These are the people we all laugh at in The Greyhound Police Blotter. But police blotter enjoyment aside, stop ruining it for the rest of us! Show some restraint while drinking. It isn't a race to see who gets hammered first. And when you are drunk, be a little more mature and don't damage property or stiff a cab driver. Each of us is responsible for our own behavior, especially when it comes to drinking.
Maybe, once we all start acting like the adults we are, the administration will start treating us that way.