Contrary to what you may have been told, imbibing alcohol is not a sin. Consider Ecclesiastes 9: "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart." Consider also the fact that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was not above the occasional drink, even going so far as to miraculously transform simple water into wine. I can assure you: Jesus drank with a merry heart indeed.

That doesn't mean boozing, especially away from your parents' watchful eyes for the first time, can't lead to sinful situations. Like all of God's wondrous creations, alcohol is meant to be enjoyed. And just like every other pleasure in God's earthly kingdom, wine, spirits, and beer are meant to be consumed with at least a modicum of intelligence. Case in point: If you drink wine coolers, you are not intelligent.

Drinking smartly does not always mean drinking moderately. We friars know that occasional heavy drinking is a blessing, and as you enter your collegiate career, you should not be afraid to succumb to this acceptable temptation. College life is a harried time of physical and mental challenges. Allowing yourself to pass the gates of Blottodom, savoring its swervy and giggly pleasures, can alleviate stress—and unlike other "outlets" I will not mention, it is not a sin. Would Jesus have lasted those agonizing 40 days and 40 nights in the desert if He couldn't look forward to a few cocktails afterwards? I think not.

While infrequent all-out inebriation is not damnable, frequent inebriation is. You don't have to be a certified alcoholic to drink too much, and you will surely test this line during your college years. The benefits of alcohol—social lubrication, an air of sophistication, the aforementioned stress relief—are curtailed by overuse. A drink a day is good for your health; 10 drinks a day is good for your ruin.

With drink, as with all things, you are your brother's keeper. The sight of a fellow Christian stumbling in a stupor may be hilarious, but alcohol poisoning is not nearly as funny. Your sorority sister coaxed into a bedroom by three frat brothers? Not funny. That guy from your study group twitching and foaming at the mouth? Certainly not funny—especially once you're forced to explain to his parents, most likely in court, that you were laughing too hard to realize he needed to get to a hospital immediately. Remember Proverbs 20:1: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Be wise and you will be merry.