"WHERE AM I?" I wasn't in my house when I opened my eyes. I tried to remember what had happened last night. After classes, my friends and I went to a Hof. Undoubtedly, that was the last thing on my schedule for the day. Then I think about it again. Yes... It was right here, this Hof. Wait, that means I spent the whole night here! Oh, how shameful! Other than letting liquor shots get the upper hand over rational thought, there are so many things that happen in casual meetings associated with alcohol. So The Yonsei Annals took a survey about ALCOHOL.
Before the Annals could talk with students about alcohol honestly, we had to know when most Yonseians started drinking. Surprisingly, 26% responded that they began drinking "when I was a 1st or 2nd year high school student." In addition, more than 25% of girls replied that they had "alcohol since high school." The next most common answer was "when I was in middle school." In fact, a survey that was conducted by the Ministry of culture and sports found that 69.5% of girl juveniles have experienced drinking at some point in their young lives.
From times of old, Yonseians have always been very famous for being top-players in all fields. I was expecting that they would also be the kings and queens of drinking. When asked How much can you drink?, the greatest number of students said that "of a standard soju bottle, I can drink about one and a half to two bottles." Moreover, unbelievably, about 25% of girls answered, "I can drink a whole bottle of soju." And what is even more amazing, as many as six people replied, "I haven? experienced my limit yet." Hey, Yonseians! Please watch out if you meet these people in a Hof.
There must be some good reasons why people drink so much. Of course, some say that there is no reason to drink other than for the fun of it. Nonetheless, I thought that there must be certain reasons behind all this drinking. The Annals asked, When do you feel that you really need alcohol the most? Many students (34%) said that they needed it most "when I need to strengthen a relationship with another person." Nothing is more effective to make a party strongly unite than drinking and the camaraderie that comes with it. We feel that we become one body when we shout "bottoms up!" The second most common response (30%) was, "when I want to have a meaningful conversation". Marvelously, a single shot of alcohol makes the tongue dance arbitrarily in the mouth.
Okay, we all may agree that we are mentally and emotionally changed when we drink. So we asked When drunk, what do you truly want to do? A full 26% of respondents said that their true desire was "declaring love to someone of the opposite sex." This answer was placed first among both male and female respondents. Frankly speaking, I'm a little disappointed! Can you only tell the truth when fortified by liquor? What a pity! If you confess your heart to someone when you are drunk, you may get lucky and things may work out, but your partner may always question the validity of your drunken confession. Therefore, if you truly love someone, try to tell it in your normal condition with your sincere heart.
While drunk, some may have only good memories of drinking, but most people also have some not-good memories. Then we asked When do you really regret drinking? 30% of students said, "when I? sick because of heavy drinking." I know what you mean. Over-drinking makes you vomit and feel like you're getting older and weaker for one night. Drinking also makes the number of your precious brain cells-cells that allowed you to enter Yonsei in the first place-decrease much faster than ever. Many other people (21%) said, "when I have told something important which should not have been mentioned." As I mentioned above, liquor makes our tongues loosen. I know you didn't mean to say it. But no one is there to blame but you.
▲ Illustrated by Kim Yeon-ji | ||
The most important problem is the day after. The Annals wanted to know the best way to get rid of a hangover. Surprisingly, 54% of respondents gave a rather simple answer: "just sleep until I can escape my hangover." Then how many hours exactly do you need? Haven't you seen the commercials on TV that advertise medical hangover cures? I firmly recommend you go to a sauna, take some medicine, drink water mixed with honey, or have some broth to chase away the hangover. Please be wiser, instead of sleeping as if you were a bear hibernating in winter.
There is a saying, "Alcohol refreshes your mouth, and yet reveals the deepest secrets of that mouth, making it a substance carrying a moral propensity to deliver honesty." It is true that alcohol has a magical power that opens our mind to others and makes us feel like we are floating in the air. That's one of the reasons why people look for a drink. However, as many research results show, strong drinks ruin our physical and mental health. I recommend that you not believe in the power of alcohol absolutely and that you avoid over indulgence in it, if possible. It's the right time for all Yonseians to demonstrate our wisdom to control liquor before it controls us!