KRT CampusThe Student Health Advisory Committee has designated this week Safe Spring Break Awareness Week in the hope that, along with sunscreen, students will pack a more informed outlook about the possible dangers and the risks they might face during spring break.
The week comes in the wake of the University’s recently vocalized concerns about alcohol-related accidents on our campus.
“Alcohol, as you saw from Chancellor Wrighton’s e-mail, has become an issue on our campus,” said sophomore Amy Chen, chair of alcohol and other drugs with the Student Health Advisory Committee. “We are not saying people should quit drinking, but rather we want to educate people about safe drinking.”
The week will mainly address alcohol- and drug-related issues as well as safety precautions to take when traveling in foreign countries.
Last night, the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), an organization that serves as a liaison between Student Health Services and students, presented an episode from the popular television show “The O.C.” that depicted the consequences of one of the character’s choices when she traveled to Tijuana, Mexico.
Tonight, students can participate in the “Beer Goggle relay” on the Swamp where they will be able to “experience firsthand the dangers of being intoxicated,” said Chen. During the relay, students will confront various challenges and dilemmas involving parties, drinking and driving that will simulate the challenges they might encounter during break.
The idea for Safe Spring Break Awareness Week came out of the success of other programs such as Sex Awareness Week, as well as the desire to educate the campus on alcohol and drug related issues, said Chen.
“The education chair and I wanted to do an alcohol awareness week, but we thought if we just did an alcohol awareness week, many people wouldn’t come, so we just incorporated the theme into spring break safety,” said Chen.
Among the tips for drinking safely, the Safe Spring Break brochure recommends avoiding salty foods that increase thirst and drinking beer or mixed drinks rather than taking shots.
Whether or not the week’s events will have the desired effect on students or if they will still return to campus with very few memories of their week in the tropics remains to be seen.
“I think [the week] would be useful,” said freshman Hillary Superak, who plans on going home during break. “If they put on fun events that people enjoy, they’ll probably help people notice some issues.”
But since many students seek the very things SHAC cautions against during spring break, SHAC’s message might fall on deaf ears.
“If [alcohol and drug use during break] is a problem, it’s probably not something [SHAC] can take care of,” said junior Josh Ellman. “People think of spring break as utter insanity, and they’re going to look for that no matter what Student Health has to say about it.”
The dangers that sometimes come with spring break might have to do with students’ desires to leave their academic life behind for a week, said junior Bennet Goldstein.
“The bigger the physical distance away from school, the bigger the thought distance,” said Goldstein. “The things you learn in school, you’re not going to remember on the beaches of Acapulco.And it’s part of spring break to do things that are risky. Spring break is about debauchery, and I think sometimes we need that to remain sane during the academic year. With that comes risk.”