I've been in a sympathetic mood as of late, so I think the time is right to get an important message off my chest. I'm currently writing this on St. Patrick's Day, so it will be very fitting as I plan to go out to the bars tonight. It's a simple message about taking care of one-another when having fun, and being able to establish trust with your friends.

We are in a stressful time of the year as college students. Spring Break has just about ended for everybody, Winter is still hitting us pretty hard, we're drowning in assignments, and still have to put up with the looming threat of Spring Fever. With all this stress going around, it's no wonder that many students, myself included, feel the need to turn up sometimes. As long as it's in moderation, drinking is generally an OK thing to do. However, as Uncle Ben said in his last words to Peter Parker, "with great power comes great responsibility." If you're planning on doing anything that involves alcohol, responsibility is one trait you absolutely NEED to have. Responsibility is what keeps you from driving drunk, or getting into a car with a driver who is. It keeps you from having too much to drink and throwing up all over the place. It keeps you from drinking to to the point where you don't even know where you are. Most importantly, responsibility is what keeps you SAFE!

But there's another aspect of responsibility that goes far beyond yourself, and that is the responsibility of looking after your friends. When you and your group turn up, there is always a chance that somebody with you might be at risk of getting into some trouble. Someone could get sexed up and start making another person feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Someone could insist that they are still sober enough to drive even though they aren't. Someone could start drinking with the intention of taking advantage of someone or just being flat out reckless. You have to keep your head on a swivel for these things.

On this St. Patrick's Day evening, I plead to you, my fellow boozers. Please be responsible. Responsibility for yourself and your friends is a priceless trait that can keep everyone worry free. In these stressful times, everyone deserves to relax and let loose, but that is not an excuse to act like a child. It's not an excuse to stop caring completely. It's not an excuse to be reckless. One small decision has the potential to completely change the game for someone, so never stop thinking. Establish the trust with your friend group, and never be afraid to speak out when you need to. I love you all, and I want everyone to be careful out there, because life is valuable, and as far as we know, you only get one of them.