Drunk Driving Is the Dark Side of College

When people think of a college student getting drunk, they view the student negatively and think that they are wasting their time and money. In getting wasted, Thomas Vander Ven, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ohio University, gives insight on the reason why college students drink a lot. In his research, Vander Van reveals that college drinkers, just like heavy drinkers, rely on drinking as a way to satisfy their craving, but the difference is that college drinkers support one another through drinking and have social gatherings to drink amongst themselves.

He also argues that because college students continue to support one another through drinking, heavy drinking continues to be a norm in a college environment. The book also shows that a college, which is meant to be prestigious, can have a negative influence. Furthermore, in Vander Ven’s book, he takes a functionalist view of alcohol and argues that overdrinking serves as a very much sociological control on student’s stress.

While drunk, these students act in ways that would otherwise be viewed embarrassing to each other if not drunk. As students continue to party and get wasted they build up positive experiences in which they joke among themselves.

These experiences build bonds that tie the students closer together thus relying on each other for stress and emotional support. The book seems to encourage over drinking and treats it as a viable method of reducing stress in hard times especially for college students. To add, Ven does state that although over drinking and have positive effects, it can still lead to very self-destructing behaviors.

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Hangovers, drunk driving acts, and just the act of getting wasted alone sheds light onto the very dark side of college. Potential alcohol poisoning and sexual victimization are all the worst that can happen in this alcohol driven college community. However, Vander Ven does suggest some ways students can reduce the risks comes with over drinking.

Methods such as training the students specifically to recognize potential risks need more elaboration in this book but is very intriguing. Above all, all of the information collected is qualitative and Ven’s method of drawing information consists of over 400 student accounts, 25 interviews, and a total of 100 hours of research. The student accounts involve humorous personal drunk stories the how these stories brought students together. From these pieces of information, Ven concludes that intoxication from alcohol empowers students to ignore normal social behavior and gives them that extra push to do something they usually would not do.

Alcohol serves as an artificial courage sort of speak. In conclusion, Getting Wasted sheds a very much-needed light on an aspect of college where students overdrink among themselves in order to relieve stress. The book provides some humorous stories that stem from over drinking and these serve as an insight into how students use alcohol as a basis in which many pleasant experiences comes forth. Based on his findings, Ven suggests some ways in which institutions can teach college students how to avoid or at least reduce the risks that follow overdrinking. Ven gives insight to his readers a completely new perspective to over drinking.