kretchitecture

As most of us are aware, the University of Minnesota is the third largest university in the nation. We also know that the UofM campus is located in the heart of the Twin Cities. Combining these two facts leads into a social issue that directly affects nearly all of us. As college students, participation in the "nightlife" and downtown events is a commonality for many. When considering what the downtown nightlife may include, a staple characteristic is the party scene and/or bars. Thomas Fisher wrote in his article “In the Scheme of Things� that we as designers must be responsible for our designs, be it a positive contribution, or a negative hindrance. This calls into question what message(s) areas such a Block E and Fourth Street are sending to students. Now, I will admit that putting bars a block off campus and right next door to Frat Row is excellent marketing, but, we must ask at what cost is this acceptable?
Entering my first year of college, my parents asked me to be responsible if (and when) I drank. Of course I gave a simple “I know� to keep them off my back. In the months that followed however, stories flooded the media of students –mainly freshman- who had died due to some alcohol related incident. This was a harsh realization of the damage that drinking can cause to people very similar to me. Since the beginning of this past academic year, numerous deaths have plagued Minnesota colleges, making our state aware of problems such as binge drinking, the “Power Hour,� and other drinking games such as beer pong or beer bongs.
Back to the relation between this issue and design. Regardless of the marketing capabilities of having bars so near to campus, the question should be considered if it is worth it, if it is good design. Since this question would likely be answered in different manners, I would like to offer my opinion. I believe people who participate in drinking, regardless of manner, frequency, or type, are responsible for themselves. If they are responsible enough to make the conscious decision to drink, then they should be responsible enough to take care of themselves. As is usually the case when two sides are offered, the other must be acknowledged as well. I cannot help but wonder how frequently students would go out for a couple drinks (which often leads into several), how many people would get better grades if they hadn’t gone to the readily accessible local watering hole the night before a test, or how many of those students who have (to put it bluntly) made stupid decisions simply because they were too under the influence to know any better, would still be alive today.
The final question is this good or bad social design. Even after providing my strong opinions of responsibility that an individual should accept when drinking, I do believe this is a local social issue that should be considered, and should these trends continue, maybe even be addressed.

www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/02/06/66988