2008 Woodie Awards
Living on the edge
Paul Matyasovsky '08 proves that not all students are part of the recent alcohol abuse statistics.
Beth Finan '07
Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: News
Paul Matyasovsky '08 just celebrated his 21st birthday. However, you probably did not see him out at Brad's. In a society where binge drinking, drug use, and tobacco are often glorified, Matyasovsky has made a choice to abstain from such habits.
"So much of the social aspect [at Providence College] revolves around alcohol," he said. "Obviously alcohol abuse is very prevalent, but that's your choice. It's just not mine."
Matyasovsky is part of a growing number of teenagers and young adults who describe themselves as Straight Edge. Although Straight Edge has many different aspects, it is mainly a lifestyle choice to avoid drugs and alcohol. Other followers of the philosophy also refrain from meat, caffeine, and sexual promiscuity.
People who are Straight Edge often have a lot of tattoos and piercings, according to Matyasovsky. A popular tattoo is "sXe," the symbol for Straight Edge. The "X" represents the marking that is often drawn on minors' hands when they go to bars, designating that they cannot drink. Currently, Matyasovsky himself does not have any tattoos, but he said that he may start looking into it now that he is 21.
The movement has its roots in hardcore punk music, according to Matyasovsky. During the 1980s, punk band Minor Threat released a song entitled "Straight Edge," which condemns drug abuse and says that the abstention from drugs and alcohol gave him an "edge" over those who imbibed. Since then, more and more people have latched on to the philosophy, including members of the band Fall Out Boy.
"It's a lot more complex than a simple definition. It's not just saying, 'I don't drink,'" said Matyasovsky. "It's more of a commitment."
Matyasovsky was first introduced to Straight Edge by his cousin and her husband while he was still in high school. He said that the repudiation of an unhealthyyet socially accepted lifestyle appealed to him.
"It's a very personal decision-much more personal than most people think it is," he said. "Smoking and drugs are generally looked down upon as a culture, but drinking is socially accepted, and that's the biggest thing for me."
"So much of the social aspect [at Providence College] revolves around alcohol," he said. "Obviously alcohol abuse is very prevalent, but that's your choice. It's just not mine."
Matyasovsky is part of a growing number of teenagers and young adults who describe themselves as Straight Edge. Although Straight Edge has many different aspects, it is mainly a lifestyle choice to avoid drugs and alcohol. Other followers of the philosophy also refrain from meat, caffeine, and sexual promiscuity.
People who are Straight Edge often have a lot of tattoos and piercings, according to Matyasovsky. A popular tattoo is "sXe," the symbol for Straight Edge. The "X" represents the marking that is often drawn on minors' hands when they go to bars, designating that they cannot drink. Currently, Matyasovsky himself does not have any tattoos, but he said that he may start looking into it now that he is 21.
The movement has its roots in hardcore punk music, according to Matyasovsky. During the 1980s, punk band Minor Threat released a song entitled "Straight Edge," which condemns drug abuse and says that the abstention from drugs and alcohol gave him an "edge" over those who imbibed. Since then, more and more people have latched on to the philosophy, including members of the band Fall Out Boy.
"It's a lot more complex than a simple definition. It's not just saying, 'I don't drink,'" said Matyasovsky. "It's more of a commitment."
Matyasovsky was first introduced to Straight Edge by his cousin and her husband while he was still in high school. He said that the repudiation of an unhealthyyet socially accepted lifestyle appealed to him.
"It's a very personal decision-much more personal than most people think it is," he said. "Smoking and drugs are generally looked down upon as a culture, but drinking is socially accepted, and that's the biggest thing for me."