Alcohol Awareness Week Set for Oct. 18-24

By Juli Reppert, Student Writer/Photographer

Alcohol Awareness Week, to be held Oct. 18-24 at Pennsylvania College of Technology, provides many fun and informative ways for students to learn about the effects and consequences of alcohol use and abuse. There will be educational activities, lectures, giveaways, movies, free food and more for students all week long.

The events kick off on Monday with a "Golf Cart Beer Run" on the Bush Campus Center Lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students will don vision-impairing "drunk goggles" and drive a golf cart through an obstacle course. This simulates the effect drinking has on driving functions. A questionnaire and information on drugs and alcohol will be provided, and Penn College Police will demonstrate field-sobriety tests.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Campus Center lawn, there will be a Roll-Over Simulator demonstration, courtesy of Penn College Police and Pennsylvania State Police. This activity simulates what happens to a vehicle in a roll-over accident.

The last event on Monday will be a Crash Scenario, beginning at approximately 7 p.m. Penn College Police and other area police, fire, ambulance and LifeFlight personnel, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, as well as several groups on campus, will participate in the demonstration. The scenario involves a mock high-speed accident in which alcohol may have played a role.

On Tuesday, a Wellness Fair in the Bush Campus Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will feature information from College offices and off-campus agencies dealing with health and wellness. Participants include the American Red Cross, AIDS Resource Alliance, West Branch Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission, the state Department of Health, the Lycoming County Emergency Medical Services Committee, the College's Dental Hygiene Program and others.

Second rounds of the Golf Cart Beer Run and Roll-Over Simulator will also take place on Tuesday. Both events will be held on the Campus Center lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Spoken-word artist, writer and poet Gemineye will perform his slam poetry in the Campus Center Game Room area at 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, at 8 p.m., the Lycoming County coroner will be in the College Library, located in the Learning Resources Center, to speak about his experiences in dealing with DUI crashes. He'll provide graphic detail about other injuries he has seen, or that could occur, because of drug and alcohol abuse.

On Thursday, there will be a Late Night Beach Party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Field House with games, fun, information and novelties. Participating student organizations will sponsor games, and there will be resources and information available about the effects of drugs and alcohol, as well as details about where people can go for help.

Jim Mothersbaugh will present his program, "Road Radio USA," at the Late Night Beach Party beginning at 9 p.m. The multimedia educational program blends light, sound and visual projections, and Mothersbaugh will touch on the consequences of destructive behavior and teenage misconceptions surrounding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Afterward, Mothersbaugh will provide music for the remainder of the event.

A full schedule of events follows:

Monday Golf Cart Beer Run 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ATHS Lawn

Roll-Over Simulator 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ATHS Lawn

Pepsi Giveaways 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Susquehanna Room Lawn

Tuesday Golf Cart Beer Run 10 a.m-2 p.m. ATHS Lawn

Roll-Over Simulator 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ATHS Lawn

Wellness Fair 10 a.m-2 p.m. CC Lobby

Wellness Fair Cookout 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. CC Patio

Slam Poet: Gemineye 8 p.m. CC Game Room Area

WednesdayRoot Beer Floats 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Susquehanna Room

Lycoming County Coroner 8 p.m. Library

Midnight Mania Bardo Gym 10 p.m.-midnight

Thursday Fall Career Expo 12:30-4:30 p.m. Field House

Movie: 21 Grams 3:30 and 9 p.m. Penn's Inn

Late Night at Penn College Beach Party 9 p.m. Field House

Friday Hypnotist: Steve Taubman 9 p.m. Penn's Inn Drawing for Xbox Game System following the show

Saturday Karaoke 9 p.m. Penn's Inn

Sunday Fall Visitation Day

Movie: 21 Grams 8 p.m. Penn's Inn

For more information about Alcohol Awareness Week at Penn College, call (570) 327-4763 or visit Student Activities on the Web.