What's next? "Oxygen needed for life." Or perhaps: "Murder. It's wrong."

While drinking is a problem on this campus, members of USG have missed the real problem. All research on this issue has labeled binge drinking as one of the biggest problems at Penn State.

So it naturally begs to question, why would our student government then choose to focus their efforts on tackling drinking and driving, especially when many students don't drive when they go out?

In fact, Penn State Police Services has reported fewer drunk driving accidents this year. Thirty cases pale in comparison to problems of violence and alcohol-related sexual assaults that plague State College every weekend.

While USG's dance party was a welcome addition to the weekend calendar, we would like to see these events occur a bit more frequently throughout the semester.

If USG members are so concerned about alcohol awareness, they should be working to create and encourage non-alcohol options for every weekend, not just when it is convenient for them.

Instead of focusing their energy and resources on important student issues, USG took the easy way out, focusing on something that does not affect most students and will not rock the boat.

One of the organizers of the event, fraternity Senator James Hornick said in regard to the event, "Important issues need to be dealt with from an awareness standpoint."

We completely agree. But first we think it is important to be aware of what the real issues on campus are.

Drinking and driving was a hot topic when we were all in high school and driving to parties, but at college this is not as big of a concern, at least when its severity is compared to binge drinking.

USG leaders should be working to raise alcohol awareness about binge drinking on a regular basis. Alcohol awareness is not a political issue that can be dealt with one haphazard display and party.