Alcohol and college students are inseparable, no matter how much universities try to deny the problem or turn away from it.

Granted, not all college students drink and if you believe the statistics of groups like SONOR, who perform independent studies about the drinking habits of college students, the kids who drink are in the minority.

But as long as there are large groups of immature, young adults gathering in the same place to earn an education while they’re away from parental supervision, there will be people that don’t know when to stop.

Robert Schmalz III was one of those people.

Last Sunday, Schmalz, 22, was found dead in his room on Bradley University’s campus. Judging by the response in Bradley’s student newspaper, The Bradley Scout, his death has rightfully had a profound effect on the students there. However, everyone is trying to find someone to blame for the “tragedy.”

Whenever someone as young as Schmalz dies before his or her time, people always look for a scapegoat, but they never bring themselves to blame the individual for his own actions.

Schmalz was a member of Bradley’s chapter of Phi Kappa Tau and was celebrating the annual Calling Out, the event marking the end of Bradley’s rush week. Accounts reported in The Bradley Scout said Schmalz started drinking at 10 p.m. Saturday night and continued to drink for over 12 hours. Several of his friends helped him back to his room where they took every safety precaution possible short of calling an ambulance. His friends helped him into bed, placed a can next to his bed and even made sure to put him on his side in case he vomited in his sleep. One of his friends stayed up watching Schmalz, but eventually fell asleep.

The friends helping Schmalz knew what they were doing and had probably seen him, or at least other friends, in a similar condition.

Schmalz was a senior and should, at the age of 22, know his tolerance for alcohol. He was by no means stupid, in fact he was a Dean’s List student and was planning on attending graduate school after he would have finished in December.

I myself am not a Dean’s List student, but even I know 12 hours of nonstop drinking can’t be good.

I didn’t know Schmalz personally and I will not pass judgment on whether or not he was a bad guy. Based on the emotional letters sent to The Bradley Scout, Schmalz sounded like a person I can empathize with.

In a letter to The Bradley Scout, Schmalz’s fraternity brothers described him as a hard worker with a love for knowledge, the game of soccer and the Chicago Cubs.

Others were extremely complimentary of Schmalz.

Matt Wright, president of the Interfraternity Council and Phi Tau member, told The Bradley Scout, “Bob oozed personality and pizzazz. Everyone here has at least one enemy on campus, except for Bobby. I don’t know anyone in the world who couldn’t like him. If anything, he knew how to love unconditionally, (which was) something I always envied.”

No matter how great of person Schmalz might have been, it doesn’t change his less-than-intelligent actions.

College students will always drink, but if they remember unfortunate stories like Schmalz’s, they might remember to drink responsibly. No matter how many commercials or public service announcement’s people see telling them to drink responsibly, nothing will affect them more than having the consequences affect them personally.

That is a lesson students at Bradley know too well now.