Hell is just a drink away for off-season athletes

"What is 'Hell Week'?" That was the first question I asked when I heard about the event. I do not participate in athletics at Buena Vista University (BVU), so this year was the first I had heard of "Hell Week." For those of you who have no idea like I did, "Hell Week" is the week after fall sports teams finish their respective seasons and go on a weeklong drunken rampage.

Why do they do this? Being in sports means restricting one's intake of alcohol during the season due to certain rules the athletes must follow. After being booze deprived for so long, there is a need to let loose at the season's end. This letting loose can sometimes include hangovers that last till seven at night, which means it is time to start drinking again, going to classes drunk or not showing up at all for an entire week. Not all players take it to this level of course.

I thought about whether this practice of a weeklong drinking binge is completely ridiculous or not. I say participating in Hell Week is no big deal as long as you show up to class.

I think it seems reasonable that those athletes who drink would miss their normal practices of drinking during the season. I do not think it is fair for the rest of us non-athletes to judge because we cannot imagine these long seasons of booze repression.

I think "Hell Week" participants should remember to not overdo it. We don't want to see any of you end up in the emergency room for alcohol poisoning or for injuries you cannot remember. Also, for your sake please try not to miss any classes, as finals are approaching. For all of the friends of "Hell Week" participants, maybe you should give your friends a gift basket of Five-Hour Energy, ibuprofen, ice packs, shot glasses, mixing straws and other assorted items to help them recover or get drunk. Good luck to all "Hell Week" participants!