NIU students have a lot to learn from a former Western Illinois University Lacrosse player.

Learn that he’s dead.

The lacrosse team hazed one player more than he could handle. The player went through an initiation of sorts where they drank “rookie juice” in the middle of the woods. The cocktail was a mix of beer, schnapps, coffee, tuna, eggs and hot dogs.

NIU students can learn that peer pressure, although sometimes an incredible force, should be beaten back. They also should learn that little drinking games to pass the time can get ugly.

As an added dimension for cases like this, there should be a stupidity check. How much intelligence does it take to realize, perhaps, mixing alcohol is a dangerous stunt? Not much.

But the lacrosse team decided to take it one step further by adding a mix of ingredients that would make Mr. T vomit.

The team should have realized the “rookie juice” was dangerous and could be lethal. Those being hazed should have realized risking their lives isn’t worth playing on the lacrosse team.

Perhaps if more people realized there is more to life than joining cliques that determine your bicep size, there would be fewer incidents like at WIU.

Or maybe everyone should be required to take a course titled “Life is too important to waste on stupid stunts: how to use your brain.”