Urban Latino Magazine: Throwin’ ‘Em Back

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OK, let’s be real. College is synonymous with partying. For some, the college selection process comes down to the research opportunities and job placement rates. But for others, the thought of certain extracurricular activities and other diversions were factors of equal importance.

However, as enticing as the party scene may appear at first, there is a well‐known but easily forgotten dark side to drinking.

“I didn’t know what to expect the first time I went to a college party,” says Isis Velazquez, 19. “When someone brought me a cup of Kool‐Aid, I was like,

“This is a party?” It turned out the mixture was actually a drink better known as “hunch punch,” a concoction of Kool∙Aid,Everclear and Cisco.

“It tasted just like regular Kool‐Aid, but then I saw some people throwing up because of it,” Velazquez says.

Camille Quiles, 19, says that she will never understand why some students go overboard with funneling.

“I think it’s stupid, not to mention dangerous,” she says. “I saw a group of guys hold each other upside down while funneling to see who could last the longest, until one guy passed out.”

Although some people may escape completely passing out, they may spend the entire morning and next day throwing up.

One night, I was obliged to baby‐sit my friend after one too many rounds of a notorious drinking game. In her state of drunken denial, she swore she could still dance the night away, unheeding my suggestions to relax. Fast forward: I’m holding back her sweaty locks as she paid homage to the porcelain god.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1,400 college students die from alcohol‐related causes every year; 1,100 of these deaths are a result of drinking and driving. More than 100,000 students become too intoxicated to know whether they consented to sexual intercourse. Evenmore alarming ‐‐ 90% of all campus rapes occur when alcohol was consumed by either the assailant or the victim.

College is a four‐year paradise of freedom and fun. But with freedom comes more decision making, more responsibility, and more danger. You made it into college; make sure you make it out. Let’s not ignore the truth. Partying is cool, but drinking too much is not. Here are some tips to keep your drinkingunder control:
You ain’t a No Limit Soldier. Know what you can handle and what you can’t. Don’t try to fake the funk and wind up passed out at some stranger’s dorm room.
• No sippee on an empty tummy. Eat before you drink, and while you drink as well. Nothing is worse than drinking on an empty stomach.
• Walk before you run. Don’t gulp, sip. There is no need to rush. Drinking fast will only make you sick. Be classy.
• What do you have to prove? Drinking games can be fun, but there is no need to pretend you are on Survivor. If you get carried away with drinking games or chugging contests, you will probably fall off the island. Not cute.
• Shake it like a salt shaker. Dance, walk around or mingle. Just remember to stay active. It will keep you busy, so you won’t drink as much. It will also make you more aware of alcohol’s effects.
• If in doubt, throw it out. Don’t accept drinks from strangers. Make your own drink, and never leave it unattended. Also, be careful of mixed drinks that mask liquor well.  Tragos that are sweet can be deceptively high in alcohol content. Just because it tastes like fruit doesn’t mean it won’t mess you up in the end.

Issue 5
–Ashley Cisneros
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Ashley Cisneros is a co-founder of Chatter Buzz Media, an Orlando Internet marketing firm that helps companies and organizations engage with their target markets through inbound marketing via the Internet. Chatter Buzz Media, which won the Social Madness competition for the Orlando small business market, is a full-service digital marketing firm specializing in website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and content creation. Prior to founding Chatter Buzz, Ashley worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, technical writer, marketing manager, public relations practitioner and freelance journalist. To see Ashley’s content writing, visit www.ashleycisneros.com. You can also reach Ashley on her Google profile.

By | 2017-04-28T07:32:48+00:00 March 26th, 2004|Categories: Blog, Samples|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

About the Author:

Ashley Cisneros Mejia is a journalist, entrepreneur and marketer. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later as an editor at Florida Trend business magazine. Ashley has worked as a professional freelance writer since 2009, as a technical writer, marketing manager, and public relations practitioner. She also founded two digital marketing agencies in Orlando. Named one of Orlando’s 40 Under 40 and honored by the Women’s Executive Council of Orlando for achievements in media and communications, Ashley earned a B.S. in Journalism and an M.S. in Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida.

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