There are many ways to spread alcohol abuse awareness, but sadly not all are creative and fun. The Student Government Association and university students found a way to creatively spread alcohol abuse awareness around the campus community.
The Office of Student Engagement will present their annual Lights! Camera! Mocktails! event on Wednesday, Sept. 28 starting at 7 p.m.
According to Kyle Gallagher the assistant director of Student Engagement, this event is to help promote the awareness of alcohol abuse among students. Students will choose a beverage from their favorite movie and create a non-alcoholic “mock” of the drink. They will then decorate a booth at the event serving the drink. As of now, drinks from the movies, “Finding Dory,” “Elf” and “Zootopia” are some of the movies that will be shown. Mocktails will kick off with special keynote speaker Ross Szabo at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom and will continue until 8 p.m. The event will then continue to Strawberry Stadium Parking Garage with free food and drinks. Winners for best booth and drink will be presented with a trophy. A local DJ will also be there for entertainment.
SGA workers are excited to help put on the event and to help spread the word about the importance of alcohol abuse awareness.
“It is a great event that brings reverence to alcohol abuse and reminds students of its effects on the body, while maintaining a fun atmosphere,” said SGA student worker and senior marketing major Neil Bourgeois.
A guest of last year’s Mocktails expressed how much she enjoyed attending. She had such a great time that not only is she planning on going to this year’s event, but is also planning on working at the event.
“When I attended Mocktails last year, I was not really sure what to think about the event, but as I went through, I learned what it was all about,” said Shirley Mier, a sophomore art major. “I find it interesting that the university found such a fun way to increase alcohol abuse awareness. Not only do I plan to attend the upcoming event, I plan to work with an organization that I am a member of for the event.”
The major purpose of this event is to not only help raise awareness of abuse, but to also help students help their peers to make better drinking choices.
“The main purpose of this event and past events is to bring awareness of alcohol consumption as students decide to drink or not to drink and to be accountable for their decisions. It is also a way for students to help others to make better decisions,” said Gallagher.