Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 10/13/98
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   132

SLU ACTIVITIES HIGHLIGHT ALCOHOL RESPONSIBILITY
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University will sponsor a week of activities to
promote responsible and safe student behavior in relation to alcohol use.
      Majority Rules, Drink Responsibly  is the theme of Alcohol Awareness Week, Oct. 19-
23, organized by the Division of Student Affairs. The goal of the program, which blends
education, awareness and fun,  is to get our students to understand the use and abuse of alcohol, 
said Jim McHodgkins, assistant dean of student development.
     McHodgkins said Southeastern has participated in Alcohol Awareness Week, a national
event, throughout the 1990s. This year s program, he said, is funded by a $10,000 Louisiana
Highway Safety Project grant. 
     The week s highlights include a  reverse town hall meeting,  when a university-
community panel will query students about alcohol use and abuse; a powerful talk on the
consequences of alcohol abuse by Mississippi State Trooper Pete Collins; and  Mocktails,  a
non-alcoholic drink mixing competition.
       Dead Day: noon-1 p.m., Oct. 19. Students strolling through the Student Union at
noon may find themselves singled out by the  Grim Reaper  and handed a card with a blunt
message about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The gloomy
specter will be assisted by silent students, dressed in black with white-painted faces to symbolize
drunk driving victims. Dead Day is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board.
     On a lighter note, students will also receive a number of giveaways -- t-shirts, posters,
stress balls and water bottles -- with the  Majority Rules  alcohol awareness theme.
       Norm s 20 Questions Game Show: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Oct. 20.  Jointly sponsored by
CAB and Recreational Sports and Wellness, this game show, scheduled for the Student Union 
                                 (MORE)
ALCOHOL AWARENESS WEEK   Add One

Mall, has an alcohol awareness theme. Participants can win more giveaways for correctly
answering alcohol-related questions. 
       Reverse Town Hall Meeting: 7-9 p.m., Oct. 20. A panel is usually on the receiving
end of questions, but in this table-turning event in the Student Union ballroom, the panel will
direct questions to the student audience about their knowledge of and choices in alcohol use.
Panel members are expected to include President Sally Clausen, Hammond Mayor Louis Tallo,
21st Judicial District Attorney Scott Perrilloux, University Police Director Paul Marek,
Hammond
Police Chief Roddy Devall, Illinois Central Railroad Special Agent Herman Newell, and
Louisiana Operation Lifesaver representative Betsy Williams. The event is sponsored by the
University Counseling Center.
       Day in the Pits:  2-5 p.m., Oct. 21.  At  Day in the Pits,  sponsored by Recreational
Sports and Wellness and CAB, students can enjoy a variety of games such as Human Bowling
Ball and Orbitron and take a look through  impaired vision goggles,  which simulate alcohol s
physical effects by distorting  vision and equilibrium. Day in the Pits, scheduled for the field by
Livingston Hall, will also feature jambalaya and other refreshments, karioke and music.
       Capt. Pete Collins:  6 p.m., Oct. 22. Capt. Pete Collins, who now lectures on alcohol
throughout the country under the sponsorship of Dominoes Pizza, will talk about the alcohol-
related tragedies he has seen up close and personal as a Mississippi State Trooper. His lecture,
sponsored by Student Organizations/Greek Life, will take place in the Student Union ballroom.
       Mocktails:  8 p.m., Oct. 22.   Students will see who can make the best-tasting non-
alcoholic drink in  Mocktails,  a competition scheduled for the Student Union Mall. A hit last
year, Mocktails sponsored by Student Organizations/Greek Life, Residential Life, Athletics and
University Police, will include food, beverages and socializing.
     For additional information about Alcohol Awareness Week, call McHodgkins at 504-
549-3792.
                                 - SLU -
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          www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsf98.htm