Alcohol Awareness week kicks off

Sophomore+Steven+Martz+guides+Kelly+Fergus+around+the+tracks+during+Friday+night%E2%80%99s+event.

Salina Bowe

Sophomore Steven Martz guides Kelly Fergus around the tracks during Friday night’s event.

Brittany Smyth, Staff writer

Mercyhurst’s annual Alcohol Awareness Week kicked off with the celebration of the “Don’t be a Drunken Pumpkin” as the main attraction.

This is the first year Mercyhurst is holding one major event for Alcohol Awareness Week. In the past, each of the sponsors would hold a small event each night of the week ending with the Drunken Pumpkin event. With students being so busy this time of year they decided to host a large event, “Don’t Be A Drunken Pumpkin.”

“Alcohol Awareness Week is sponsored by Campus Involvement Center, the Counseling Center, Peer Mentors, and the Resident Life and Student Conduct Office,” said Michael Grasso, assistant director of residence life and student conduct.

The third annual “Don’t Be A Drunken Pumpkin” event  had many activities for attending students to get involved in, such as pumpkin painting, a costume contest and the chance to ride an adult-size tricycle, wearing “drunk goggles.”

The “drunk goggles” gave each rider the vision level of having a blood alcohol level of 0.08. This was the club’s humorous way of giving students an alternative set of activities to do on a Friday night.  The “Drunken Pumpkin” event used to take place on Thursdays. Changing the date to Friday gave students an alcohol-free alternative to going out.

From Oct. 23-30, the Student Peer Mentor program will have tables set up in various locations around campus, including Egan, the Student Union and at sporting events to promote responsible drinking. Students who approach the tables will have the chance to sign a pledge for responsible drinking.

There will also be more information detailing how to become part of Mercyhurst’s bystander intervention initiative, “Step Up.” This initiative encourages students to step up when it comes to bullying and sexual harassment.

Students who want to get involved can stop by one of the tables for more information.

After the pledging is done on Friday, Oct. 30, students will have the chance to trick or treat on campus during the day and attend Haunted Hurst, a Mercyhurst tradition, starting at 8 p.m. Ambassadors will be giving tours of the spookiest places on campus. Tours meet in the Union.

Alcohol Awareness week was created to educate students on responsible drinking and re-inform them on the dangers of binge drinking.