LETTERS: Alcohol and personal choice

To the Editor: I fully agree with the doctor that more steps must be taken at colleges and high schools around the country to educate students on the dangers of underage drinking. He is correct in saying that schools like M.I.T. should take greater measures to prevent such terrible occurrences. However, I noted one glaring absence in the doctor's column. Where is the personal responsibility Scott Krueger himself has for his own death? Attending M.I.T., Krueger was most likely a very intelligent, bright kid. Shouldn't it have been obvious to him that consuming too much alcohol could have killed him? Going one step further, shouldn't it have occurred to Scott that drinking at his age was illegal? It may seem cruel to say, but I believe Scott should bare the most responsibility for his death, not the school. Yes, M.I.T. could have taken more preventative steps to teach its students the dangers and problems associated with drinking. But when it comes down to it, it was Scott's choice to drink that night and, in the process, kill himself. Seth Finck College '98