MU prepares for Alcohol Responsibility Month
The Wellness Resource Center advocates responsible drinking.
Published Oct. 2, 2009
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Freshmen Natashia Neuhaus and Megan Lamanna talk to representatives from Supportive Tigers Riding in Pursuit of Ensuring Safety at the Alcohol Responsibility Month Resource Fair on Thursday in Stotler Lounge. Sponsored by the Wellness Resource Center, the fair marks the beginning of Alcohol Responsibility Month.
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The Wellness Resource Center held its 27th annual Alcohol Responsibility Resource Fair on Thursday to begin Alcohol Responsibility Month.
The fair had tables set up for various campus organizations that promote drinking responsibly. The resource center will hold events throughout October, including the annual 12-hour walk Friday and a legal issues panel.
"Our purpose is to increase students' awareness with alcohol whether it be regarding health, safety and the legal consequences," Wellness Resource Center Director Kim Dude said. "We really want students to take the issue seriously."
The month is almost all student-planned, Dude said. Graduate student Stephanie Heffernan is in charge of coordinating all of the events and working with an undergraduate committee of peer educators.
Heffernan worked with the resource center's peer educators, who are student volunteers, and Dude to develop this year's theme: Rockin' Responsibility Since 1982.
"We were just tossing around ideas and we really liked the rock theme," Heffernan said. "For the 12-hour walk, we need a lot of entertainment to fill that time and we thought the rock theme would offer a lot of possibilities."
Junior Julie Scroggs also has her own committee and acts as the undergraduate liaison between the graduate students and Dude. Scroggs involves herself with the resource center because she wants her peers to understand there are consequences to not drinking responsibly, she said.
"Some students don't understand the impact drinking can have on their present and their future," Scroggs said. "If you're having fun one weekend, one thing can go wrong that can really affect you, whether it's not getting into law or graduate school or having trouble finding a job."
Heffernan became involved with the resource center for similar reasons three years ago when she was an undergraduate student.
Heffernan said it doesn't take much to drink responsibly.
"It's not hard to be responsible," Heffernan said. "Being responsible can prevent a lot of bad things from happening and it's so easy."
The resource center does not have a no-use message, but instead promotes drinking responsibly, Dude said.
"It's not realistic to think that people are just not going to drink even if they are under 21," Heffernan said. "Rather than just telling people 'don't do that,' we want to educate them."
Senior Kaitlin Bender, who attended the fair, said she appreciates that the resource center realizes college kids will be college kids.
"It's like sex,” Bender said. “People are going to do it, so you might as well just promote safety.”
About 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year due to alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including car crashes, according to CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov. But Dude said it doesn't take much to remind students to make responsible decisions.
"I know that students are adults and I know they are capable of making good decisions even if sometimes they have to be persuaded to," she said. "But most students on this campus do make good decisions."
