In the wake of a stunning shooting that left five Duquense University basketball players wounded, and the 10th anniversary of the sniper attack on the HUB lawn, campus safety has become a major issue in the news.

To say my concern was unwarranted would be an understatement of epic proportions.

During informal polls I conducted in my classes, campus safety was a complete non-issue.

One student went so far as to say that yes, while she had heard a lot of parents asking safety questions, she didn't think much of them.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon was short and to the point on the topic of public safety.

He said most universities have a lower rate of serious crime than the area that surrounds campus -- a statistic that holds true when applied to Penn State.

Mahon said the HUB lawn shooting was a senseless, random act, and the shooter was legally allowed to carry the rifle used in the shootings.

He went on to say that often times, it is the media portrayal of an instance of campus violence that makes it seem more prevalent than it actually is.

He suggested the only way to completely prevent all violence on campus was to construct a 20-foot-high barrier around the entirety of the area. While the isolationist in me jumped for joy, something told me that the idea would probably get stonewalled.

But not every violent act is a lone shooter.

Students are hurt every day. There are other incidents like assaults and fights that permeate our campus culture.

I turned my attention to the real thing that puts students at risk on campus: themselves.

More specifically, it seems students here pose a danger to themselves when they hang out with their "friends."

These friends include but are not limited to Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, Jim Beam, Johnnie Walker, and in the case of most freshmen, sophomores and just plain penniless students, their Uncle Vladimir.

Now I'm not here today to preach about drinking from my high and mighty pulpit.

I'll save that for at least two weeks from now. However, as it relates to safety, the fact remains that students are in the most danger when they are stumbling home down Calder Alley, one misstep away from a serious appendage malfunction.

It seems to me that, while students here feel safe, and by all statistical analyses are safe, they'd be even more protected if they learned to lay off that last quad shot of rum, or consumed that pitcher of Miller Lite in four cupfuls and not one extended chug.

This is not to say students should not drink, but rather they drink with some kind of plan. I am sick of seeing kids vomiting all over themselves or professing their love to whatever tree they're hugging that, in turn, is stopping the world from spinning.

While Penn State has not had any recent incidents as dramatic as the shooting at Duquesne, we have had our share of bar fights, stabbings and, unfortunately, homicides involving students. I am willing to bet most of these incidents could have been prevented had the parties involved laid off the special cough syrup just a little bit and instead attempted to keep some control of their faculties.

So students, please keep this in mind: At Penn State, it is highly unlikely that you will be victimized by a shooter, at least one that is firing bullets. As for tequila shooters, well, don't say I didn't warn you.