We were quite happy to read Jenette Sturges’s column “Sober Up, Champaign” on Tuesday October 18. We believe, as she seems to, that the drinking situation on campus seems to be getting a bit tiresome. It’s to be expected to have loud noises, smoky smells, and sticky floors inside a bar or apartment party. What’s not cool is walking home from a computer lab or library on a Thursday at midnight and hearing nothing but drunken shouting and watching people as they play their own personal games of Frogger trying to get from Murphy’s to Brothers without the arduous task of waiting for the streetlight.

We think Jenette has the right idea, in that we need to keep ourselves in check. We’ve witnessed oh so many schemes to thwart police discovery and subsequent fines involved with underage drinking, and we don’t doubt their effectiveness. Jenette claims that there is “really nothing wrong with a 19 year old having a couple of drinks”, but really, there is a little matter of the law. It’s still illegal to drink underage. Those who do this excessively are perpetuating a poor image of our campus, and causing some uncomfortable nights for students who are just trying to study (not to mention how jealous we are that we can’t skip our Friday classes too).

Obviously, underagers are not the only ones doing the drinking and shenanigans; a 23 year old can be just as much of a drunk fool as a 19 year old. It’s up to you to tell your friends when they’re drinking just a bit too much, and maybe then we’ll all have a little better time here.

James Owens

Paul Martin

seniors in Engineering