Awareness

The Southern University Counseling Center wrapped up festivities for its annual Alcohol Awareness Week on Thursday as they attempted to promote attentiveness among college students.
Alcohol Awareness Week was started five years ago, and the center holds different activities throughout the year to inform and strengthen the student body, said Chi Joseph, a counselor at the center.
The center opened the week with a wrecked car placed in front of Smith-Brown Memorial Union. The car was actually involved in an alcohol-related accident. Joseph said not enough students are grasping the reality of alcohol’s effects on people.
“Our goal is to increase the student’s awareness of alcohol and the results from its use,” Chi Joseph said.
On Tuesday, students were given the opportunity to participate in the center’s “Happy Hour” and were given “drunk” goggles.
Sponsored by Mockler Beverage Inc., non-alcoholic drinks were distributed to students. Students were able to experience the feeling of inebriation through the goggles and get the first-hand effects of alcohol when used incorrectly.
“The drunk goggles really made me feel like I had been drinking,” said sophomore Justin Bradley from Lake Charles. “It was an interesting experience.”
A “Street Smart Guys” seminar was held Wednesday to promote seat belt safety, with a firefighting and paramedic team from Orlando, Fla.
“I enjoyed listening to the Street Smart Guys,” said Aaron Williams, a freshman biology major from Opelousas. “They allowed me to see things differently.”
Later, banana splits and sundaes were given out to cool off students during the “BYOB” — Bring Your Own Bananas party.
Thursday, the center rounded out its week with “Mocktails,” hosted by local radio personality J. Tweezy, who is a recovering alcoholic. After the WEMX-94.1 announcer delivered his own experiences, students were able to get a taste of the campus’ best non-alcoholic “mocktails.”
“The idea is to show students that they can have a good time without the use of alcohol,” Joseph said.