Please Stumble Responsibly

Whether students rocked their

"Everyday I'm Stumblin" t-shirts or

their "Going Down like the Economy"

slogans; Oktoberfest 2011 was a

blast for many college students. The

wonderful town of La Crosse and its

special festivities were represented

within one of the most popular

annual gatherings in the La Crosse

community. While some community

members enjoyed the opening day

parade, great food and socialization;

many students stuck to its main

purpose: drinking. Unfortunately this

year, while students were partying to

the point of incoherency, the campus

and surrounding area were taking the

wrath as they were trashed in the path

of destruction.

This year's phenomenon of

weekend-long intoxication left some

streets, sidewalks, lawns, buildings,

properties and vehicles completely

trashed. While I too took part in

Oktoberfest festivities and enjoyed

myself, I never once found myself

taking part in the destruction of the

areas. It disgusts me that, to some,

drinking takes precedence over

judgment to the extreme that property

is destroyed, and our beautiful

town remains full of garbage. This

destruction of property and perpetual

littering is a serious problem, and a

reflection of our student population.

In no way am I saying that

Oktoberfest isn't made out to have

fun and to socialize with friends, but I

think it is important to make a point to

do so responsibly. Students, next year,

before you go "stumblin" down the

streets of La Crosse for Oktoberfest,

please remember who and what you

are representing, and be sure to clean

up after yourself.