The Wellness Resource Center began its Alcohol Responsibility Month on Tuesday with the 30th annual resource fair. The event took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Stotler Lounge, where different organizations from across campus set up booths to educate students about alcohol safety.
Representatives from STRIPES, the Office of Student Conduct and the Craft Studio were among more than 20 booths set up at the fair.
Director of Alcohol Responsibility Month Danae Fuqua said these stations play an integral role in the education of students attending the fair.
“We can’t teach students about this all alone,” she said. “The more organizations we have helping us with this cause, the more effective it will be. The more we can get the word out there, the more we can change behaviors.”
Fair volunteers handed cards to students entering Stotler Lounge. The students could then stop at stations where they would learn about different aspects of alcohol responsibility.
After attending eight stations and receiving eight punches on their cards, students would receive a free Alcohol Responsibility T-shirt and pizza.
“Events like this put the idea in people’s minds,” Fuqua said. “The more they’re exposed to it, the more they’ll be aware of how to be responsible. It shows they can have a good time without alcohol and probably even have a better time without it.”
Kelsey Lammy and Cole Nemdenhall, tri-directors of Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol, also volunteered at the event.
“(The fair) is a good way to kick off alcohol responsibility month,” Nemdenhall said. “We educate and it also helps get the word out for future events. It shows you can have a good time without drinking.”
The fair focused on the 12-Hour Alcohol Responsibility Walk, which takes place Friday. The walk will feature more alcohol safety education.
“We want our campus to be as healthy as possible,” Fuqua said. “We want to raise awareness about how to be responsible because alcohol can lead to some issues down the road. Not only that, but (the walk) is a good way to get kids active. It’s a great way to end the week and start the weekend.”
The fair also informed students of other Alcohol Responsibility Month activities such as a keynote and a legal issues panel.
Lammy and Nemdenhall stressed the importance of “harm management” strategy, rather than asking students to abstain from alcohol entirely.
“We understand our audience,” Lammy said. “We want to help them make safe choices. We don’t want to tell them what choices to make, just how to do it in a safe way. And by doing harm reduction, we think we can reach more people.”
Nemdenhall said this approach allows GAMMA and the Wellness Resource Center to help more students during Alcohol Responsibility Month.
“We know staying away from alcohol entirely is not going to reach everyone,” he said. “It’s like eliminating the risk can be impossible, but we can work to reduce the risk.”
This year’s slogan, “With great power comes great responsibility,” inspired a superhero theme. Fuqua said the importance of this theme comes from the necessity for students to act as role models to their peers.
One of her biggest jobs as a peer advocator, she said, is to show others how to act responsibly with alcohol.
“I love educating for the wellness of students,” Fuqua said. “What’s really kept me going is how I and the other peer educators can change people’s lives. Making a difference in people’s lives is really cool.”