Workshop Memo

My workshop peer editing partner was Kiwane Williamson. After giving him my paper I
realized that I had grammatical errors. He fixed my grammatical errors. Since my paper wasnt
finished yet he gave me suggestions on how to finish it. He also gave me ideas on what to
include in my paper. He also suggested that I add actual statistics from credited websites on what
percentage of college kids actually drink. I related my paper to not only my personal life but
also to articles I have read online and the news. Although my paper is not connected towards any
of the articles we have read in ties in with the overall theme of cultural myths.
Haleigh Riley
Professor Laura Knudson
UWRT 1106-1109 Combined
11 February 2016
The Social Outcast
How many times have your parents lectured you not to drink? There is a stereotype that
all college students drink. Drinking is a cultural myth associated with college students across the
globe. What is a cultural myth? A cultural myth is a widespread belief that is associated with a
person, group, or culture. Whether it is assumed by your friends, teachers, or parents they all
believe that you drink and party. Although within college there is the peer pressure to drink not
everyone does. If you dont can you still be popular and have friends? Will you still have a social
life?
Why do you think college students drink? Most people would assume that students drink
because it is their first time being away from their parents and they feel like they have freedom.
Personally I believe that students drink to fit in with the social aspect of college. They see others
doing it and they decide they want to fit in. Another reason I believe college students drink is just
try simply try alcohol but too often students get addicted leading to them getting drunk
frequently.
Since I have started college I have found it particularly hard to make friends. While Im
not unfriendly I just have high standards for who I want to be around. Why do I have high

standards? I simply have high standards because Im not here to party, drink, and skip class.
When I say high standards I mean I want friends that are unique and not like the typical college
student. Unlike others I am here strictly for the knowledge. Yes I still like to go out and do things
but not to drink or curse. It is particularly hard to find friends because most people my age do
party starting on Thursdays all the way until the weekend is over. Is it too much to ask for a
simple Christian friend? Or am I being too strict?
Being raised in a religious family I was taught that I should love all and try to help those
in need. I was also taught that I didnt need to be like everyone else because no two people are
the same. With saying that, I havent been looking for friends who dont drink but Ive been
looking for those who dont spend their weekend nights getting wasted and partying. However
Im looking for those would rather spend it going bowling or going to see a movie. Just spending
quality time with friends without alcohol. I would also like to find a friend who would attend
church with me and group Bible studies. I have recently learned that there are Bible studies on
campus I do not attend due to the lack of friends. But I believe if I would go to a couple to find
one I like I could make friends.
Throughout my life I was taught that drinking wasnt bad as long as it was done with
moderation and not with the sole purpose of getting drunk. I was also taught that I should wait to
the legal drinking age of twenty one. Have I waited? I dont believe any individual waits until the
legal drinking age to drink or to simply try alcohol. But I have been responsible drinking small
amounts around my family only. I was taught that if I was going to drink that I should give up
my keys before and that I should never get in a car with someone who is intoxicated.
In high school and before coming to college they had all kinds of speakers come visit to
talk about underage drinking. Most the time they connected underage drinking to driving under
the influence. Driving under the influence is when you are intoxicated and your alcohol level has
hit the legal capacity which in North Carolina is 0.08 or higher for a regular vehicle for a

commercial vehicle such as a transfer truck it is 0.04. Driving intoxicated cannot only lead to
putting yourself in danger but also those around you which can result in major or minor injuries
and possibly death. How much do college students really drink? Each year an estimated
3,360,000 students between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four drive under the influence of
alcohol (Strauss). This article from the Washington Post proves that students to get behind the
wheel when under the influence. Although it doesnt say how many get injured during wrecks I
infer that with 3,360,000 students that do drive when intoxicated that at least half of them have
been caused in a wreck.
The article How much do college students really drink? states Each year and
estimated 1,825 college students between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four die from alcohol
related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. (Strauss). This leads me to think
that students are not being responsible and giving up their keys. I think that friends should watch
out for each other in the situations and not let each other do stupid things.
According to How much do college students really drink? drinking at college has
become a ritual that students often see as an integral part of their higher education experience.
Research shows that more than 80 percent of college students drink alcohol, and almost half
report binge drinking in the past 2 weeks (Strauss). Why are students seeing drinking as an
integral part of college? Is it because America pushes alcohol through advertising? Is it because
it is so easily for underage kids to obtain it? Within America we see alcohol advertised
everywhere on billboards, commercials on television, and even on radio ads. Are teenagers
influenced to drink because commercials make it look fun and cool? Alcohol brands use
celebrities, animals, and humor to make their alcohol appealing. Speaking from personal
experiences I know some stores (for example, convenience stores) will sell alcohol and tobacco

products to underage buyers. Is it the lack of caring or the profit margin that causes them to do
so?
The typical Friday night for most college students consists of drinking and partying.
Speaking from personal experience I know that most students to drink. Before attending UNCC I
was at Western Carolina University. Making friends was a very easy thing for me there because I
lived in a dorm. Upon initial meeting I became friends with some but as time went on I lost
friends due to them always drinking and them being upset with me because I wouldnt. In the
past I have been called a buzz kill and lame because I wouldnt partake in drugs or alcohol.
Alcohol tends to lead to unwanted activities. How much do college students drink?
states each year and estimated 97,000 students between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four are
victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. Each year an estimated 400,000 students
between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four have unprotected sex, and more than 100,000
students between eighteen and twenty-four report having been too intoxicated to know if they
consented to having sex (Strauss). This article shows that if you get drunk unwanted stuff could
happen to you such as rape where you could get pregnant and it is possible that you wouldnt
even know who the father is. The Washington Post also states that a select amount of college
students get raped yearly with the use of alcohol. So why wouldnt you just be responsible and
drink the minimum or stay sober?
Do you believe alcohol can change people? During my first semester at college I made
some awesome friends. But most the time they were only fun to be around when they were sober.
When they would be intoxicated they would invite me over unknowingly that they were
drinking. It does change people because I had made a friend who was a guy he would never flirt
with me when sober but if he was drunk it was like he had no problem flirting with me although
he knew I had a boyfriend. One night while watching a movie with our friends he had been

drinking and wasnt feeling good, he fell asleep with his head on my lap. Trying to be a nice
friend I didnt bother him but the next morning he remembered and thought that I was flirting
with him and to this day will not talk to me the same because I didnt have interest in him.
Within my first semester I watched my friends who drank throw their grades in the toilet.
They did so by skipping class, not doing homework, and not studying for test. Most days they
would miss class due to being hung over. They never cared until exam week came around and
they would come to me complaining about how they didnt learn anything. I then had to explain
to them that they needed to reflect on what they did this past semester to understand how they
got in their position. Although I have left Western so of my friends have remained close while
others have drifted. The one who have drifted are the same ones that drank constantly and they
are still doing so.
Staying sober at college made me realize that I dont need to be like everyone else. Being
sober has also taught me that I dont need alcohol to make friends or to have a good time. I have
also found that staying sober at college helps keep my head on straight for my classes by doing
my homework on time, being present in class, and studying for a test. This cultural myth benefits
all who want dont want to be average. It benefits those who are not part of the percentage of
those students who drink. This culture myth can be harmful to all students though it has no
benefits. Drinking is no joke especially when you drink to the point where you get drunk and are
unaware of your actions. In order to solve this cultural myth I believe colleges campuses,
apartments and dorms should keep a closer watch to what residents are bringing in. The workers
of such establishments should conduct room checks or rounds to make sure drinking or parties
are not taking place. For example at my apartment complex you can hear other residents having
parties on the weekends but most the time they are not shut down unless Delta police who guards
my complex receives enough noise complaints. If someone looks suspicious or something they

are carrying then they should be searched. After all my research online Im curious is the saying
all college students drink a cultural myth or is it something that is true within todays society?
Based off the percentages I found online I would say that it is true that majority of college
students drink but a small percentage do not. So you cannot assume that all college students
drink so I believe this is a cultural myth.