Rituals provide us with a sense of order and security.

In a study of the drinking rituals of college students, the researchers found that drinking imposed order in students’ daily lives—from the completion of assignments to what and when to eat. In addition, ritualizing an activity such as drinking provides security and fellowship at a time fraught with confusion and turbulent change. Obviously, though, there’s a dark side to drinking rituals. Consider the highly publicized death of an MIT student who died three days after he fell into an alcohol-induced coma as the result of a fraternity pledge. Indeed, although binge drinking is a ritual many college students practice, critics have described it as the most significant health hazard on college campuses today.171 What role does drinking play in the social life on your campus? Based on your experience, how does it fit into rituals of college life?

Should these practices be changed? If so, how?

AppendixLO1