STUDENT'S DEATH MUST NOT BECOME A STATISTIC

(U-WIRE) STATE COLLEGE, Penn.--"It won't happen to me." It's a natural attitude toward alcohol-related incidents in college. Unfortunately, negative incidents occur every day, and one day they will affect you or someone you know. Last week, one of these incidents occurred right here at the University. Though this is not a rare occurrence, it was a tragic one. It was an incident that should not go unnoticed by the University community.

The death of a fellow student to another alcohol-related incident should be enough for students to reflect on their own habits. Joseph A. Bettinger's death should not be forgotten and used as a statistic. Rather, his death should be used as a reminder of what can happen when we do not consider the effects of alcohol.

According to University Police Services, every year, more than two dozen University students die in alcohol-related traffic accidents, drownings, falls and similar accidents. More startling is that last year, more than 100 students at the University were admitted to Centre Community Hospital for acute alcohol poisoning after celebrating their 21st birthday, according to police services. While numbers can be starting, they do not convey the seriousness of alcohol-related incidents.

It is easy to shrug off statistics and authority figures that constantly remind us why we should not drink. At times, it seems as we are listening to a broken record of statistics that no longer make us think about our actions. However, it is not as easy to shrug off the impact of these figures, when they involve someone we know. We may not ever have met Joseph A. Bettinger, but it is harder to dismiss his name than it is a number.

It is time that the University community seriously reconsider some of its actions. We must realize the dangers we face when we don't respect what we do to our bodies.