The perception of alcohol on Creighton’s campus needs to change.

As a wet campus, I understand that alcohol consumption by legal adults is permitted. I also understand that the university should do everything in its power to prevent underage kids from drinking. Furthermore, I believe the university should avoid any and all instances where it may be facilitating the underage consumption of alcohol.

However, I do not understand the alcohol taboo.

Recently, the Creighton Students Union gave coozies to all freshman residence halls to hand out to freshmen. Deglman staff respectfully returned them, arguing, the “coozies provided continue to enable a positive attitude toward the use of alcohol in underage residence hall space.”

I’m fine with that decision.

Everyone knows that coozies are for beer cans. Sure, someone might want to keep his or her Pibb Xtra cold every now and then, but realistically, the coozies are for beer.

As I understand it, freshmen would be receiving the coozies, and all of those freshmen are most likely underage. As university representatives, I can completely understand why the staff would be uncomfortable with seemingly facilitating the underage consumption of alcohol.

But this situation speaks more to the negative view of alcohol on campus.

Stepping away from the Deglman incident for a moment, let’s look at the facts. There are many students on Creighton’s campus that drink alcohol illegally. That is a fact. I’m not going to name names or give examples, but if you try to

argue that no underage student drinks alcohol at Creighton, you are out of touch with reality.

Assuming some students drink, where would you like them to consume alcohol? I would argue that there is no safer place to drink alcohol than in your dorm room. You aren’t going anywhere; you’re with people you know; and you know exactly how much you’re drinking.

Where else would you rather have an underage kid drink than in his or her dorm room? A random party? At a park? In a car?

Of course not.

The purpose of drinking laws — and Creighton’s strict rules — are to protect underage drinkers by preventing them from consuming alcohol.

But what about the kids that break those laws and rules? We still need to try to protect them.

If we assume kids are going to consume alcohol, what kind of alcohol would you rather they consume: beer or hard liquor?

Every formal statistic and rule argues that all alcohol is created equal. Common sense doesn’t see it the same way.

What sounds easier to drink in two hours: 60 fluid ounces of beer or 7.5 fluid ounces of hard liquor? According to the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, those two amounts will bring an average male’s BAC level to 0.08 percent.

But hard liquor can be consumed much faster and much easier. Moreover, it is much easier to keep drinking additional 1.5-ounce shots than 12-ounce beers, making the consumption even more dangerous.

If a freshman is looking to get drunk, he or she will most likely choose hard liquor. It is easier to transport, to keep hidden and to drink faster. And if an immature, underage person wants to drink really quickly and get really drunk, bad things are going to happen.

To avoid that type of danger, I think we need to stop talking about the evils of alcohol. Instead, I think the conversation should shift toward drinking responsibly, whether you’re of age or not.

Talk about always having a designated driver. Talk about putting a cab number in your phone. Talk about going (and staying) in groups.

Don’t make alcohol taboo.

It exists, and people — both legal and not legal — are going to drink it to get impaired. Rather than trying to sweep the issue under the rug, let’s address it.

I’m not saying RAs should buy kegs every weekend for the dorms. I’m not saying that the Blue Zone should be ignored. Heck, I’m not even saying Deglman should’ve handed out those coozies.

I’m trying to encourage a more practical, helpful discussion surrounding underage alcohol consumption on campus. It’s a touchy subject, but it’s an important one.

And if Creighton’s campus can move away from its current, unrealistic outlook on alcohol consumption, students will be more informed and, more importantly, safer.