Act of Resistance/ Final Response to Lysistrata

For my Act of Resistance, my goal was to protest against an issue that greatly effects the younger generation. Therefore, I wanted to focus on the issue of binge drinking, in general, on college campuses. For those of you who are unaware of what binge drinking is, essentially binge drinking means to drink heavily over a period of several days, however, the term refers to the heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. Individuals binge drink mainly for the purpose to become intoxicated. The main problems that may evolve from the issue of binge drinking include alcohol poisoning, impaired judgment, physical harm to the body (increased likeliness of being overweight and having high blood pressure), mental health problems, and possibly alcoholism.

But, the main question that I raised before publicly protesting the issue of binge drinking was, why do people binge drink? In the search for answering my own question, I came to the conclusion that people binge drink mostly because they have giving in to peer pressure and just want to fit in. Other reasons include that individuals become curious as they want to know to what is like to drink excessively. Individuals look to alcohol as a way to relieve stress and make them feel better, although they are unaware that it may make them feel sick and hung-over. Also, they want to feel older than they actually are.

After I researched and gathered my thoughts on what I already knew about binge drinking, I thought the perfect way to express my protest was on a college campus to college students, as college students seem to be the most effected by this issue. So, my mission was to speak to college students at Ripon College, in which my sisters attend, to see what their opinions on binge drinking were. I mostly spoke to my sisters’ friends and sorority sisters about it. For the most part, they all responded in the same way and mainly suggested that binge drinking is very harmful as they have either witnessed or experienced the effects of binge drinking. As some admitted to binge drinking, they also stated they were unaware of why they choose to binge drink other than the fact that the alcohol was there and it was not hard to get away with it. But, some did say that they were aware of the possible effects and bad consequences from such choices may have had including drinking and driving or having sex. Other people said they like the feeling of being drunk, and that is why they drink, yet they were not sure of what they truly got out of it as binge drinking is never a positive thing.

Personally, I fell that binge drinking is very unsafe and although one may think it is cool when their in the moment, they are often ignorant of that of which will come after their experience of binge drinking is all said and done. I do not see what people get out of binge drinking. I think what shocked me the most about my protest was that some easily admitted to binge drinking, even some who were underage.

In the future, I do not think I would do anything different about my protest. But, for insight to the future, I do wish to continue to educate individuals about binge drinking and address the negative consequences and harm it does to an individual, both mentally and physically. I think I did help the problem. After I completed my act of resistance, I was greatly satisfied with the effect it may have had on others, as I hope they will think twice before binge drinking again.