We recently touched upon the tragic death of Arizona State University student Naomi McClendon, who fell 10 floors off the balcony of an off-campus apartment after a night of binge drinking.

Recent Brigham Young University graduate Emily Holmstead looks at the events leading up to the death and what the school is now doing to prevent similar accidents in the future.

…The lead-up to the accident reads like a sickeningly inevitable recipe for disaster. The night went like this: an underage girl went to a party that was clearly intended for binge-drinking (if the $30 unlimited-drink ticket is anything to go by); the party was sponsored by Alpha Epsilon Pi, a banned fraternity with a history of alcohol-related infractions; and the incident took place in what the locals call the “Loud Party Corridor,” known for its raucous parties and associated crime.

After this girl got so drunk that she couldn’t even walk straight, according to surveillance videos, her friends accompanied her to an apartment to sober up, then went to another party and left her behind, alone. By the time anybody thought to look for her, the State Pressreports, she was already dead.

Even for a campus known for its heavy partying, the grisly death has shocked the Arizona State University community and prompted police to pledge to crack down on underage binge drinking…

The larger problem is the toxic drinking culture that has integrated itself into college campuses across the country. Binge drinking is normal at college parties.

According to The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, half of college students who drink alcohol also binge drink, and 1,825 college students are killed by drunken accidents every year.

What’s more, the illegality of under-age drinking has become like jay-walking: merely a technicality. Uprooting such a deeply entrenched part of college culture, one that has become a rite of passage for many, is incredibly difficult.

Despite the difficulty of enforcement, the Arizona State University community has been spurred into action by the tragedy.

According to the Republic, the state Department of Public Safety, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, and ASU police departments have committed to a crackdown on underage drinking.

They are taking their cue from this last fall’s successful Safe and Sober campaign, which targeted drunk driving, underage drinking, and raucous parties. The campaign racked up 1,772 arrests and drastically reduced crime associated with drinking and partying, such as robbery (which dropped by a whopping 76 percent during the campaign), vandalism, and assault.

As for the people who supplied Naomi with alcohol and sponsored the party, they will be charged with various misdemeanors, police have said, adding ASU administrators and the police are monitoring the area around campus, dedicated to preventing another tragedy at an institution meant for education.