Drunk driving isn’t a joking matter

You can hear some pretty strange things when you're sitting in class, just before it starts, and everyone is having a conversation with someone else.

The girls behind you are gossiping about some guy, the group in the front of the room is already stressing over the next test, and the three guys to your left are reenacting the big game.

A few days ago, I found myself in this scenario.

But one conversation was different. Sitting right in front of me was a girl and a guy talking about partying, drinking and driving.

Now let me preface this by saying, I don't party.

I know, I'm weird. But that's not the point. Let's get back to the guy and girl discussing drunk driving.

The two started off talking about their plans for this weekend, and then migrated to telling stories from past parties.

And then, this is my favorite part, they started comparing stories to see who had been the most "messed up." Most of the stories they told, each trying to one-up the other, involved drunk driving.

Well let me share something with those two, and everyone else for that matter: Nothing about driving drunk is cool, and it definitely isn't funny.

I know we all think we're invincible. Nothing bad will ever happen to me.

Well bad things do happen. And no one is indestructible.

Did you know that one in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime?

Did you know that the average drunk driver has driven drunk 87 times before his or her first arrest?

Did you know that 406 DUI fatalities occurred in Pennsylvania in 2009? That's 32 percent of the total traffic deaths in Pa. in 2009.

Did you know that over the five years before that, there were 2,423 DUI fatalities in Pa.?

All of the above statistics came from MADD.org (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), a pretty reliable source.

Do you want to be one of their statistics?

I don't. But I drive around this town, too. So do other students, professors and minivans full of families. A drunk driver could make us a statistic with one stupid, split-second decision.

I'm not saying you shouldn't go out and party. Do what you have to do. Have fun.

But please be responsible. Have a designated driver. If you don't, or if they leave you, call someone else. Walk home. Sleep at whatever house or apartment you happen to be in.

I don't care what you do with your free time, until it can endanger innocent people.

With Homecoming just around the corner, please think before you act. If you've been drinking, do whatever you have to do to keep yourself from sitting in the driver's seat and turning the key.

And please don't sit in class bragging about your adventures in drunk driving. You should be ashamed of those stories, not proud of them.

Just because you were lucky before, doesn't mean you won't be the cause of a statistic next time.