It’s 1:45 a.m. after the Louisville game. I walked out of Witherspoon Student Center on my way towards West Deck after a long day of filming. As I’m about to cross the street at Cates Avenue and Dan Allen Drive, I spot a vehicle coming about 50 feet away, giving me more than enough time to cross the street. I look down for a second as I cross, and when I look back up the car is about six feet away with no signs of stopping.
At first, I thought the guy was trying to play some sort of sick joke by running me off the road. As I caught a glimpse of him, it was evident that this driver was intoxicated.
Wearing Wolfpack colors and driving towards Western Boulevard, I also inferred that he, like many that night, was coming from the tailgate and football game.
After the near miss, I looked around in shock just to realize that I was completely alone. Even the campus police cruiser in the West Deck was empty; driverless. My thoughts began to race. I was alone, scared and worst of all I could have been seriously hurt.
I got off the phone with NC State Police and wondered if this person’s partying was worth putting my life in danger. I wondered if this person’s idea of having a good time could have potentially ended up with one of us — or both of us — losing our lives.
Although drinking is a common part of the fun at a tailgate and gameday, why do we still have to make sure students are responsible for their alcohol use at this stage? Is it a cultural issue? Is it a policy issue? Is it an issue of age?
Tailgating is all about eating, drinking and having a good time with your frat, housemates, friend group, classmates and so on. Essentially, a fan base gathered in anticipation of a football game. Most people are already inclined to drink, so why isn’t designated driving prioritized? Beyond designated driving, why isn’t basic safety prioritized?
Who was at the game with this individual, and who gave them permission to drive? My problem is not only did this person become extremely inebriated, but there might and should have been a great number of factors that would have prevented him from driving.
Granted, it was a tough loss against Louisville, but is a tough loss at Carter-Finley a valid reason to drink yourself blind? Understandable? Maybe. Valid? No. And it’s even worse when one gets behind the wheel, putting their life and the lives of others in danger.
So what am I supposed to do? Sit back and pretend that everything is okay? Or how about I say: “Oh, boys will be boys! It was a tough loss after all.” The last time I saw an anti-drinking-and-driving commercial was probably in 2009. Driving intoxicated is out of date and foolish. Not just because I was almost a victim, but also because both of us had people waiting for us to return home.
As I walked back, I couldn’t help but think that I have parents, siblings, cousins and even two nephews who are waiting for me to graduate and come back home in one piece. And the thing is, so does he — he has loved ones, whether back home or in his friend group.
The act of getting behind the wheel while intoxicated is an act of selfishness and should not be tolerated, especially here at NC State. We are all intelligent members of a university community, we are here for a purpose and we’re all capable of doing great things.
If you’re struggling with addiction, NC State has many resources to help — don’t take them for granted. You are loved and you can get better.
