In celebration of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Month, the Office for Student Engagement is hosting Mocktails with the theme “When I Grow Up.” The event will be held Sept. 27, in the university parking garage, with a booth set up from 5-6:30 p.m. with judging at 8 p.m. Mocktails is an annual social event during which various organizations and departments compete for best booth decoration and nonalcoholic drinks. This year’s guest speaker is motivational speaker, inspirational storyteller and stand-up comedian Wendi Fox who will speak to the students about alcohol awareness at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Theater. “I think the general purpose is to show the students that you can have a social event without alcohol being involved and you can still have fun,” said Cherie Thriffiley, director of the Office for Student Engagement. “And I also think that having the speaker come in and talk about alcohol awareness and making responsible choices and decisions, resonates with a lot of students before they come out for the event. It’s something to reinforce, if you choose a lifestyle without substances, then you can still have fun.” According to Jim McHodgkins, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, the first Mocktails event was held in October of 1998. “We came up with the Mocktails where every student group would decorate a booth with a theme and then also would create their own special Mocktail, which is a drink without alcohol,” said McHodgkins. “We wanted to do more than just coke or punch; you had to make it like a fancy drink, and then it became a competition. It has grown bigger every year. I think it’s one of the best, and students really like it.” Organizations compete for the Booth Winner Award and Drink Winner Award. There is also an Overall Winner Award which was given to Alpha Sigma Tau and Tau Kappa Epsilon last year, having the theme of Mexico and the drink Margarita. Peer Educators Educating Peers at Southeastern (PEEPS) sponsors a Viewer’s Choice Award, allowing students to vote for their favorite booth. “We’ve given the winners gift certificates in the past, but for our students who compete, I think they take so much pride in what they do,” said Thriffiley. “They take so much pride in developing their theme and making it work for their organization and developing a drink that I don’t think they’re necessarily looking for something to walk away with. They get those bragging rights.” Mocktails used to be held in the Student Union Mall, but relocated to the parking garage due to space issues. Last year there were 21 teams who competed. “Mocktails has outgrown the Student Union mall,” said Thriffiley. “It was too many tables to cram in. This was the better venue and we got positive feedback last year so we’re going to keep it there.” Mocktails is traditionally held every fall either in late September or early October, despite National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Month being in October. According to Thriffiley, the Office for Student Engagement did not want to host Mocktails too close to Homecoming. “We don’t want to over program our students,” said Thriffiley. Southeastern’s KSLU radio station will DJ the event and the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco Free Living, a statewide tobacco control program, will be providing food. “I liked it because of all the different drinks people can have. There is no alcohol and it also promotes not drinking and driving, and that’s something I like,” said Matthew Schwingshakl, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice. “This year I look forward to the different types of drinks they have to offer, and I look forward to having fun.” Applications can be found online at the Office for Student Engagement website, selu.edu/admin/ose. All applications must be returned to the Office for Student Engagement in the Student Union, Room 203, by Friday, Sept. 21, at 12:30 p.m.