Recently and unfortunately there has been a national trend of incidents resulting from alcohol, drinking and irresponsibility. For the most part, at least this year, Iowa State has managed to dodge the bullet.

But last week, it truly hit home as one of our own students indulged too heavily in alcohol after concluding a week of midterms.

Fortunately for him, as well as us, this student did not suffer the same fate as students at MIT, the University of Iowa and LSU.

Fortunately, this student didn’t die after his overindulgence, fortunately he was able to be helped by quick medical attention.

But, nevertheless there is a lesson to be learned from this, but this time it isn’t just one of alcohol education. This time the lesson we should all learn is one of misconceptualizing a problem.

There is an overplayed stereotype of college fraternities. A stereotype that involves one of alcohol and parties.

Now, no thanks to the recent deaths of students from binge drinking, that stereotype appears to be holding true. Or is it?

The truth is, at times we put certain organizations under a microscope. We make them appear like the main cause of the problem we are trying to solve, when in reality, they are not the cause. At times, they are even the victims.

Alcohol abuse is not a greek problem. It is not a black or white problem. It is a student problem. It effects all of us no matter what we look like, what letters we wear or who we associate with.

Greeks are getting all the blame when we should be taking the blame. After all, students are the ones dying, who cares if they are greek or not?