Don't drink and dance

Saturday night may have been the most fun I've ever had in my life. At midnight, I turned 21.

The pumpkins turned into top-shelf liquor and the mice turned into club buddies, and I made the conscious decision to drink. And drink I did - wait until my future employers scope out the pictures on Facebook.

But it's important that the decision I made was indeed conscious. I understood the risks, had a driver, and knew my limits. Drinking, for many college students I know, isn't always such a smart plan.

It should be.

Freshmen especially find themselves vulnerable in their first few months on campus. Friends and movies tell them that getting very drunk, very often, is what's supposed to happen. And before they sober up, we have a report thick with trips to the hospital.

If you have friends who are unused to alcohol or don't have much experience drinking, don't push them. That's where bad situations come from - just ask the kid who woke up smashed in President Simpson's office last semester.

If you personally aren't big on drinking, don't feel pressured. There's no rule that says you can't wait until you're 21 - it might seem like the cool thing to do, at first, to get drunk with everyone else at parties. But by the time your friends have figured out what's important in life, you'll find that it's pretty respectable to tip back a soda instead.

Soda composed about half of what I tipped back during my celebrating. My six closest friends braved the blustery streets to take me out, my family has made plans to gather in Syracuse next weekend, and someone I haven't seen since graduation last year is going to make a trip up from Long Island. It's heartwarming to know how far friends and family will go to help you enjoy a birthday.

But how enjoyable would the weekend have been if I'd spent my time hung over, or in a hospital, or in jail?

There are many safe ways to get the job done, if that's your plan for the night. If you're going to drink, keep it legal. If you can't, have a friend nearby who can, and know your limits. For more information, talk to UB's counseling services in 120 Richmond, or the Wellness team in 114 Student Union. They have some helpful information about good ways to have fun.

And with Molly's and P.J.'s recently out of the picture, now is a better time than ever to consider the legal stuff.

The legal age is set at 21 for a reason - psychologically, the parts of our brains that help us make decisions aren't done maturing until you hit the magical age of adulthood. Until that point, we're naturally more apt to do something stupid. It's arrogant and irresponsible to argue that we're above the law.

Don't push your friends, and don't push yourself. You'll be grateful the next morning.

My decisions were made with a clear head and some good advice about designated drivers. I only wish I'd taken the advice about dancing drunk. Moving my hips may not be my thing, but I've got a trigger-happy camera hand. Regretfully I'll have documentation of the whole night forever.

My pictures show my friends still red-faced from the cold and taking off their coats. Later, myself with a drink in each hand, bought for me by strangers and companions. They show a dance floor full of people I know and friends who gathered to help me celebrate.

What I'll remember forever is a safe night full of fun - not just because of the pictures, but because I knew my limits well enough not to black out and forget everything.

Whether it's your birthday or just another night, play it safe and make sure your friends do too. If you have fun, you'll be glad to remember it in the morning.