The typical college workweek consists of juggling assignments, going to work, maintaining relationships and occasionally sleeping. The typical college weekend is quite different, and often consists of partying, which is sometimes code for binge drinking. There are many verbs used to articulate the different activities that occur at such parties — from detonations and shotgunning, to doing keg stands. Most people engage in such activity because it is “fun” and because doing so is a necessary break from the strenuous workweek. It is a time to be oneself.

The inherent flaw in this form of thinking is that it implies both dissatisfaction with one’s vocation, and an unwillingness to struggle towards legitimate self-actualization. Perhaps a majority of students are going to college because their parents want them to, or because they feel that they have to major in this or that subject to earn enough income to live comfortably. Such thinking results in a distorted perception both of duty and indulgence; it furthermore helps perpetuate the dystopia that is western society. It is not a reflection of the western economic system, but is conversely a reflection of people’s inability to manipulate the system, a system that is supposed to work for their convenience, not the other way around.

If students were happy with their lives when they were sober, they wouldn’t need to escape by abusing substances. Weeks would be less painful, and weekends would become less hedonistic. The issue is that in order to take such action, people need both to analyze their inner desires, a skill not taught or discussed by most people, and to exert effort beyond following clichéd career paths. Such cyclical stagnation could be stopped by a change in overall outlook, but such drastic change is not induced easily. What are you doing this weekend? Why?

Sam Reid

journalism freshman