Last night’s showing of the movie “HAZE” coincided with National GORDIEDay, a date the film’s producers chose to memorialize Gordie Bailey, a student at the University of Colorado-Boulder whose alcohol-related death is the subject of the film. Though the date was not set with the University in mind, the screenings came at a time when the University typically discusses its own alcohol-related tradition: the fourth-year fifth.
Drinking a fifth of liquor before kickoff of the last home game is one of the University’s newest traditions — it only started in the 1980s — and it is also one of the dumbest. Sure, some students can drink the roughly 17 shots that make up a fifth without any permanent negative consequences, and if those students want to do so, that’s fine. But for most people, a fifth of a gallon is not a safe amount of liquor to drink, and establishing that amount as a goal is just begging for someone to push himself too hard.
So fourth-years, if you’re going to attempt the fifth, know your limits. Above all, don’t pressure anyone into drinking more than they think they can handle. By all means, have fun — just don’t let anyone get hurt.
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