Spring Break
The Daily OrangeStraight up
Zalickas imparts hard-earned wisdom in Colgate College talk
By Dan Poster
Posted: 3/1/05, 1:58 AM EST Section: Pulp
That was an important point Zailckas harped on repeatedly.
"I'm not telling people not to drink," she said. "That's their choice."
Other students walked away wondering if maybe their friends - or even they themselves - were stumbling down a path similar to Zailckas'.
"It really taught me something," said Lindsey Scialabba, a freshman psychology major at Colgate. "She reminded us that drinking is still a dangerous thing, even if you don't think you have a problem."
It was crucial, Zailckas said, to drive home this point in her book by being as open and honest as she could about her experiences with alcohol.
"I had to write the book like no one was gonna read it," she said, "not my boyfriend, not my parents. No one."
But even though Zailckas' no longer drinks, it's important to recognize that her book is not a self-help book, she said. It wasn't written so that other girls could follow her road to recovery.
"I'm not really in a position to give anyone advice," she said.
"Smashed" was written to let people sample the flavor of total recklessness, to show them a side of college hooliganism rarely displayed.
"It's OK for us to talk about our problems," Zailckas said. "We're taught to be ashamed of them. But (childhood alcoholism) is not a personal problem, it's a cultural problem.
"It kept me from my sanity. It kept me from developing healthy relationships. It kept me from life."
"Smashed" has enjoyed two weeks on The New York Times best seller list. And while Zailckas' admits it's thrilling to be so highly-acclaimed at the age of 24 on her first attempt at writing a book, it can never match the personal feedback she receives from her readers.
"To know that there are people who feel less alone now," she said. "That's what made this book worth writing."
"I'm not telling people not to drink," she said. "That's their choice."
Other students walked away wondering if maybe their friends - or even they themselves - were stumbling down a path similar to Zailckas'.
"It really taught me something," said Lindsey Scialabba, a freshman psychology major at Colgate. "She reminded us that drinking is still a dangerous thing, even if you don't think you have a problem."
It was crucial, Zailckas said, to drive home this point in her book by being as open and honest as she could about her experiences with alcohol.
"I had to write the book like no one was gonna read it," she said, "not my boyfriend, not my parents. No one."
But even though Zailckas' no longer drinks, it's important to recognize that her book is not a self-help book, she said. It wasn't written so that other girls could follow her road to recovery.
"I'm not really in a position to give anyone advice," she said.
"Smashed" was written to let people sample the flavor of total recklessness, to show them a side of college hooliganism rarely displayed.
"It's OK for us to talk about our problems," Zailckas said. "We're taught to be ashamed of them. But (childhood alcoholism) is not a personal problem, it's a cultural problem.
"It kept me from my sanity. It kept me from developing healthy relationships. It kept me from life."
"Smashed" has enjoyed two weeks on The New York Times best seller list. And while Zailckas' admits it's thrilling to be so highly-acclaimed at the age of 24 on her first attempt at writing a book, it can never match the personal feedback she receives from her readers.
"To know that there are people who feel less alone now," she said. "That's what made this book worth writing."
