The wise Charlie Sheen (from Two and a Half Men) once said that alcohol is for people that can afford to lose a few brain cells. With that being said, the University student body just might fall into this category of people. But whether or not they fall into this category, the Chemistry students might auger that technically… alcohol is in fact a solution. Given this scientific fact, is there any way this seemingly ‘magical’ solution can ironically pose a problem as well? The answer is Yes.

“Drinking too much can result in serious negative health effects including poor liver function, liver disease, high blood pressure, weight gain, and changes in the brain’s ability to produce new cells.” (Sniderman, 2012, n.p.) But I’m sure you’ve heard this a thousand times before. The reality is that if something bad happens, you drink in order to forget. If something good happens, you drink in order to celebrate. If nothing happens, you drink to make something happen.

It is a known fact that alcohol consumption is an integral part of many students’ University life, whether it be every Wednesday night or otherwise. But, as Vander Ven rightly asked, “How has our society come to see college and drinking as synonymous?” He went on to add that, “Maybe this is the case because our popular culture often depicts university life in this way.”  (2011, p.ix) This issue is compounded during the second semester/ Carnival season when there is a marked increase in student alcohol consumption practices. There is now considerable evidence of a cultural shift towards alcohol abuse rather than use among students during this season. This excessive consumption foreshadows nothing less than a catastrophic calamity.

But how did alcohol become the foundation course of our University life? And should we be proud that we’re passing with flying colours, new GPA scheme or not?

Maybe it’s not our fault. Maybe, we just need to blame it on the music like Rupee said. After all, it could just be in our nature as University students to follow the instructions from great teachers such as Machel Montano, Kerwin Du Bois and Lyrikal. And so with ease, we oblige like the good students we are and, “Pop a Bottle” with “No Apology” because we’re on “Cloud 9”.

As students, when faced with these contradicting demands; to drink or not to drink, the real solution is all about finding that much needed balance between alcohol and academia.

It’s true that we’re only young once and ‘UWI’ life is certainly filled with its perks, but we owe it to ourselves and our health to know where to draw the line. In the true spirit of Carnival, as we bid farewell to the flesh, do we bid farewell to our dignity and self-respect as well? Are the experiences of falling over ourselves, vomiting all over ourselves (and others), being the laughingstock of the night, ‘hooking-up’ with strangers, and having near-death experiences in our barely-conscious state worth it? I bet the hangovers are worth it…

If these things are worth alcohol abuse, it leads me to wonder if being a student of the University of the West Indies is worth anything after all. As a student myself, it would be simply heartbreaking to witness other students disregard all of the time, money and effort it took to get to where we are today and throw it all away for the temporary perks of a careless lifestyle. However, I guess these matters are unimportant. What matters is the present and living in the moment. After all, you only live once. That’s the motto, right?

Regardless of the youth motto, the reality is that getting ‘wasted’ every week might not be the best thing for your physical or mental well-being. “The phrase “work hard, play hard” and its many variants that are heard on campuses… tie alcohol use to the academic life as a just reward for hard work in the classroom or laboratory.” (Dowden, 2012, p.81) However, we are all cognizant of the fact that being a ‘UWI’ student can be quite demanding. From quizzes, presentations, midterms, assignments, readings and research, Machel rightly said that its, “Endless Wuk”. Therefore, it’s not outlandish to assume that ever so often we do need a brain cooler. Some of us prefer to sit back and have a few drinks in order to ease the stress of ‘studenthood’. Nothing is wrong with that, but the key is MODERATION.

University students drink. That’s a universal fact. However, we should not take this cultural norm for granted and use it as an excuse for excessive alcohol consumption. At the end of it all our occupation; our role and responsibility within the larger society is to be the best student that we can be. Never take your role for granted. There are thousands who wish they could have an opportunity to be educated. Thousands who aren’t afforded, or rather, can’t afford the opportunity to achieve social mobility and secure a better standard of living for themselves and their family. Don’t forget this.

With all this being said, I want to assure you that you CAN have it all as a ‘UWI’ student. “Balance, that’s the secret. Moderate extremism. The best of both worlds.” (Edward Abbey)

References:

Dowdall, G. (2012). College Drinking: Reframing A Social Problem/Changing The Culture. Dulles: Stylus Publishing.

Sniderman, Z. (2012, October 4). 11 Ways Alcohol Is Legitimately Healthy. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http://greatist.com/health/alcoholic-drinks-benefits

Ven, T. (2011). Getting wasted: Why college students drink too much and party so hard. New York: New York University Press.