Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

The headline certainly caught my attention. “Top drinking parties for ASU students.” What the what? My first thought was that this had to be a mistake. Seriously? If you just read the headline, you’d think the Arizona Republic and its web arm azcentral.com are promoting drinking to college students, most of whom are still under Arizona’s legal drinking age of 21.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that I’m pretty invested here – I’m an employee of Arizona State University, a full-time staff member, part-time adjunct professor, former broadcast and print journalist, current masters candidate, and the parent of an ASU student. So, yeah, I’ve got some skin in this game.

Read the article and you could be convinced that the intent is indeed to advertise drinking opportunities to a mostly underage audience. At the very least, the reporter and/or editor are blissfully unaware of any adverse consequences. “It’s not easy being a college student. Sometimes you need to let loose, have a few drinks and surround yourself with action.” Hmm, maybe the reporter isn’t necessarily talking alcoholic beverages.

“There’s some great partying around ASU’s Tempe and downtown campuses, whether you’re looking for a neighborhood dive bar, a bumping nightclub or a sleek lounge.” So much for that theory. With very few exceptions, most bars, nightclubs and lounges cater exclusively to the over-21 crowd. The only way for an underage college student to get in the door is with a fake ID. Surely the owners of these venues are not looking to attract underage patrons by fraudulent means – the penalties are too high.

“Fortunately, many holidays that involve knocking back a few take place during the school year, giving students a great excuse to celebrate.” I was a college student, too. I get that students are drinking whether they’re legal or not. I’ve also seen what drinking can do to a promising academic career. Should the primary newspaper in the community appear to encourage irresponsible (not to mention criminal) activity by highlighting motive and means?

“…there’s lot of cool events happening year round where you can enjoy a drink and the awesome weather with your crew. Here are some of the best events for drinking during the school year.” Grammatical errors aside, the writer has now tied the association pretty tight between school and drinking. Why target students? Why not promote great parties on Mill Avenue? There are many events and attractions in Downtown Tempe, but the focus should be on having a good time rather than drinking, and certainly not alcohol use by minors.

It’s understandable that an inexperienced reporter might get lost in writing a hip, cool piece for the nightlife section and not consider the impact of her words. But what was the Republic editorial staff thinking? There must be at least one cooler head who could raise a few concerns. As Liz Lemon would say, “What the what?”

Advertisement