STAFF EDIT: Pong wrongs?

In the midst of an ever-growing pandemic that the White House declared a national emergency over the weekend, America’s students ‘- who constitute one of the demographics most at risk for the illness ‘- are being told to curtail their partying for reasons other than the dangers of binge drinking. Attention has been raised regarding the issues drinking games such as beer pong present in the transmittance of the contagious H1N1 virus, which spreads easily through saliva. But Boston University health officials and administration don’t seem to think swine flu prevention should be the reason that moves students to stop playing drinking games, but rather, that the illegalities of drinking underage and the health hazards of drinking heavily should be enough for students to say no to activities like beer pong.

But the truth is ‘- however inconvenient BU administration finds it ‘- students are going to drink, on campus and off, of age and under. Pushing for abstinence of drinking is not unlike pushing for abstinence of sex ‘- it is futile and archaic, and distracts from a more practical endeavor, which would be to advocate for safety while pursuing these activities. In the same way that people are going to engage in sex before marriage regardless of the potential risks involved, including pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, students are going to drink underage when they’re in college regardless of the health risks. What saves both ‘deviant’ parties from the worst types of consequences isn’t going to be an administration telling them not to, but rather, an administration educating them about the current dangers of their behavior ‘- contracting swine flu ‘- and how to make safe decisions. Acknowledging that games like beer pong are always going to be played will be a tough step for BU, but once that obstacle is overcome, students will benefit from a more feasible game plan set forth by a more focused, more realistic administration.

It’s time for BU administration to get out of denial and face the fact that its students ‘- like all students ‘- party and drink alcohol. Though that may not be the healthiest and most legal lifestyle, it’s a real one nonetheless. Pretending that that isn’t does nothing for the students who are very aware that binge drinking is dangerous but not so aware that that in playing drinking games, they are at a much higher risk of contracting a flu that is especially fatal for members of their age group. It may be a bitter cocktail for administration to swallow, but that can be mitigated when chased with a healthier student body in the long-term, and a newfound respect from students who heretofore find their administration to be quite out of touch.