In college you will almost always find underage drinkers. There are people who know their limits and people who go way over, sometimes resulting in hospitalizations, injuries, and sometimes even death. We had an incident here at Penn State this year involving a cheerleader. Paige Raque is a Varsity cheerleader here at PSU. In October she fell from a 5th story window resulting in fatal injuries. Luckily Paige has recovered from what could have been the fall to her death (Robinson). Just this week an incident similar to Paige’s happened at Temple University, however the result was much much worse. Ali Fausnaught, a 19 year old student from West Chester University was visiting friends at Temple for their “Spring-Fling.” Around 5pm, at a rooftop booze party, she fell over a 10-inch ledge to her death. Beer cans and bottles were found in the house that the party was being held. They are unsure if alcohol was involved but signs point towards yes (Zalot).
Stories like these really hit close to home. I know that many of us drink here at Penn State, like any other college. It is just important to drink responsibly and know your limits! Always use the buddy system, walking to and from parties and even when you are at parties. Also, never lose sight of your drink because you never know if someone may slip something in it. It also helps, while drinking, to drink water or Gatorade in between drinks so that you stay hydrated. If we all keep in mind these tips while out at parties, stories like Paige’s and Ali’s can be prevented!
*image taken from Google
Works Cited
Robinson, Alex. “Injured Cheerleader Paige Raque Making Progress.” N.p., 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://onwardstate.com/2012/10/31/paige-raque-update/>.
Zalot, Morgan. “Woman, 19, Plunges to Death from Rooftop near Temple University.”Philadelphia Daily News. N.p., 18 Apr. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130418_Woman__19__plunges_to_death_from_rooftop_near_Temple_University.html?c=r>.