Drinking on college campuses have been on the up rise. Binge drinking, drunk driving, and alcohol related deaths are also getting higher. Drinking is becoming an issue on all campuses around the nation. I have witnessed binged drinking and drunk driving. The first time that I ever drank was on a campus and I was only 14 years old. My sister brought me to a party at her boyfriends when she was attending Berea, in Kentucky. It was a night that I will never forget and it is full of examples of college drinking issues.
When I first went to visit my sister at the college she was attending I thought it was going to be very boring. My parents were with me and I figured it would just be a trip where we see my sister and go out to eat. Well I was wrong. While my mom and dad went inside a hotel to get a room for the night, my sister asked me if I wanted to go with her to a party instead of staying in a hotel. Of course I said yes, I had never gone to a college party and if I went that night I could tell all of my friends at school about it, I mean I was only 14 years old and I was going to a college party. So when my parents got back in the car my sister asked my parents if I could stay with her and they said yes. I was so excited to see what it was like!
When our parents dropped us off we got everything we needed out of her dorm room and went straight to her boyfriend’s house. When I walked in there was only a small group of people. I can remember everyone putting in money for beer. I had never tasted a beer before, but I couldn’t wait to try it! We sat there talking for about a half hour while everyone got to know me. All of my sisters friends were pleasant. They were mostly baseball, basketball, and softball players. Some of them were rednecks but I could relate to that. Everyone seemed to like me and they also thought it was cool that I was only 14 and I was at a college party. I was a freshman and was already falling in love with college.
A few moments later two guys walked in with a case of Miller Highlife. I remember them handing me a beer as I was kind of nervous as to find out what it tasted like. I opened it up and took a drink. I’m sure the look on my face was unforgettable as the taste of the beer was so bitter. I didn’t like it one bit, but I wanted to fit in so I drank it anyway. As more people showed up I met a guy that was very friendly and we got to talking about how old I was and if I have ever drank before. I told him that I had had a shot of 151 proof whiskey the weekend before. He said he had some down stairs and that I could have it if I wanted it. Well of course I was going to turn him down. I told him I’d love to have it, so he went downstairs and got it from his room. When he brought it up and gave it to me he said he was leaving but for me to have a good time.
Man that whiskey was rough on my throat but it was making me feel good. I was just drinking it straight out of a cup. It didn’t have a good flavor but the burn it gave you was just irresistible. I was starting to feel a buzz and was getting more talkative with people I didn’t know, but I didn’t care because I felt good. It was about that time that good things started to go bad. A couple of guys had drank over their limit and let’s just say people do stupid things when they get drunk. I’ll never forget what I saw that next few minutes.
As I walked downstairs, exploring for no apparent reason, I caught a glimpse of guy that was not a very happy person. He jumped up and punched a window, it broke and blood started to pour out of his hand, then he took off at a fast pace out of the house. I didn’t say anything to anyone because I didn’t want to get in a fight. So I just walked up stairs and went back to partying. Moments later my sister’s boyfriend had realized what had happened. They didn’t know who had done it. It was then that I whispered to my sister that I knew who did it. Not too much longer the same group of guys walked back in, one with a taped up hand. I pointed him out to my sister and they called the campus police, I was glad that that was over.
The night I had was full of excitement and overwhelming. I will never forget what had happened that night, it was a time to remember. From that point on I started drinking occasionally with friends of mine back home. We had some good times and some bad times. I had realized that drinking on campus wasn’t all fun and games and that it can get you in trouble. I always thought it would be like what you always saw in the college drinking movies; where there was loud music, beautiful girls, and everyone had fun. But I knew that this was the real life and not everything you expect and want to happen, will happen. Drinking on campus can be a dangerous thing to do when you are only 14 years old. I don’t recommend it and I learned some lessons, but I also had a good time!
