My column: Alcohol - no ‘drinking games’ here

by Matt | October 10th, 2006 |

Openness… Honesty… I’m not above those and I’m certainly not beyond reproach.

Here’s my column from this week’s Carolinian (UNCG):

Alcohol - No ‘drinking games’ here
Life lessons, accountability & hope
Matt Hill Comer, Don’t Ask (I’m Telling)
Issue date: 10/10/06 Section: Opinions

It is a lesson I thought I knew. It is a lesson I thought I’d never have to personally experience. It is a lesson that has (and continues to have) huge impacts on my personal life - both mentally and physically - my familial life, my public life and in my relations with friends and colleagues. It is a lesson I hope no one has to personally experience themselves and that is why I am both publicly, and personally, confronting this issue head-on:

Drinking alcohol is not a game. If not used maturely and responsibly, alcohol is deadly. As a human, you are not invincible, your body can only take so much and you can die.

Sometimes there are things you may think could never happen to you. I, for one, never thought I’d be irresponsible or immature enough to make decisions that would send me to the hospital and bring me almost to the point of being in a coma or the grave.

We’ve all heard the warnings and the cautions about alcohol. We’ve heard the statistics: 1700 students between the ages of 18-24 die from unintentional, alcohol-related incidents each year. 599,000 students between the ages of 18-24 are unintentionally injured in alcohol-related incidents each year. 31 percent of college students meet the criteria for alcohol abuse, whether that be a one time occurrence (like mine) or a continuing one. For the LGBT community, of which I am a part, alcohol abuse affects an estimated 20-30% of people, a rate that is two to three times higher than that of the general population. These warnings, cautions and statistics, however, aren’t always enough to counter-act the vulnerability of youth or immaturity.

On top of my personal lessons on alcohol abuse, I’ve learned (and am still learning) many other life lessons as well. First, your actions impact more than just you. They impact your friends, family, organizations and school. Second, friends can sometimes be more than just people you care about, have fun with or trust; sometimes they are your angels, the people who save your life. Third, expect that you will be held accountable for your actions. Fourth, life is precious; don’t end it early because of irresponsibility and stupidity.

I would hope that the fourth lesson is one all people already know. The third lesson is an important one though, especially for all leaders, including student leaders, community leaders and government leaders. My decisions and actions occurred at a time when I was representing UNCG PRIDE!, a group on this campus I have served (and will continue to serve, if only in a different capacity) since I first came here. As a leader, I understand the concept of accountability. When a person does something wrong, harms himself or another person or harms a group or community because of his or her own decisions and actions, that person will be held accountable.

What kind of group image did I portray to the community? As a student leader, what kind of example was I setting to our members? Not a very good one. Because of this, I have had to face what has probably been the most painful and emotional public consequence of my decisions: I am no longer an executive board member of UNCG PRIDE!.

Read the full column at The Carolinian Online

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Tags: Don't Ask (I'm Telling)