With the end of the school year drawing nearer and nearer each day, the urge to celebrate grows stronger. And we should be celebrating the closing of this chapter in our lives. We are growing up, making bigger decisions and moving on with our lives. But there are different kinds of partying and celebrating. There is the clean, legal fun of getting together to watch a movie or play Twister. Then there is the red cup, strobe light, substance abusing ‘fun.’ And that kind of fun is a lot less glamorous than it seems on TV.

Music videos and TV shows glorify the partying lifestyle, often suggesting the use of substances that inhibit the ability to control one’s own body. What the shows generally fail to portray is how it affects kids’ lives. Drugs and alcohol alter a person’s state of mind. People who are under the influence believe they are making logical decisions when, in reality, the properties of the substance they are using disables the rational part of the brain which could endanger their well being. Illegal substances also alter moods which could ultimately endanger relationships. Ruining a good friendship while someone is intoxicated and not in their right state of mind can cause irreparable damage. And more often than not, it is too late that people realize those consequences and they have to live with them. Abusing illegal substances in the name of fun can land someone in jail for years which stays with that person forever.

Not only do people have to live with the choices they make and those consequences that come with it, but their friends, families and peers do too. For every action there is a consequence, and it would be selfish to impose the consequences of one person’s decisions on other people.

It would be naive to expect people to forgo partying. What we can do, though, is emphasize the importance of doing it responsibly. Stay away from people who encourage others to make dangerous decisions. Partying is not necessarily a dangerous situation as long as people are smart about the choices they make. Replace alcohol with sodas. Get active at parties by playing pool or playing Just Dance rather than the reckless alternatives. Party in a public place like a coffee house or a fun restaurant.

Just because other people choose to make decisions to hurt themselves and others, doesn’t mean it is the most fun or the right thing to do. Make good memories that you can actually remember- and that you want to remember. A bad decision with an even worse consequence should not be a wake up call. Party responsibly.

On behalf of the editorial staff