RSU Student Affairs and Campus Activities Team (CAT) are partnering to host a series of events to teach students about the potential dangers involved in drinking in excess.
Scheduled for Oct. 16-19, “Scared Sober October” is a weeklong drive to promote making good choices involving alcohol and to teach students about the potential consequences of making bad choices and not drinking responsibly.
“Scared Sober October activities aim to teach college students the dangers of binge drinking and driving under the influence,” said Katie Anderson, student activities coordinator. “Our hope is that students learn how to drink responsibly – if they’re of legal age – should they choose to drink at all.
“During these activities, students will learn the ten critical signs of alcohol poisoning, as binge drinking too often leads to alcohol poisoning, and receive a drinking and driving sliding calculator so they know how many is too many before getting behind the wheel,” she said.
Scheduled events include:
Monday, Oct. 16: Mocktails, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center lobby
Students are invited to relax and enjoy a refreshing and non-alcoholic mocktail after a stressful class or day. Students will learn about the dangers of drinking to excess, including the critical signs of alcohol poisoning, common drinking myths and most importantly, how to drink sensibly.
Tuesday, Oct. 17: Shots for Sobriety, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center lobby
RSU students are encouraged to attempt the pop-a-shot basketball or play giant basketball pong while wearing alcohol-impairment goggles. Students will also learn about the dangers of drinking too much and can spin the prize wheel to win valuable RSU prizes.
Wednesday, Oct. 18: Pumpkin and Paint Pickup (contest begins), 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center lobby
Students can pick up a mini-pumpkin and paint it to go or decorate it and enter it in the pumpkin decorating contest by tagging @rsucat on Instagram no later than Sunday, Oct. 22. Three entries will be chosen to win a BOO basket.
Thursday, Oct. 19: Drunk Driving Simulator, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center parking lot
Students are invited to see how dangerous alcohol-impaired driving can be in the drunk-driving simulator golf cart course. This is an opportunity to learn about the critical signs of alcohol poisoning, drinking myths and responsible drinking. This event is sponsored by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Campus Activities Team.
According to The Journal Record, Oklahoma ranked within the top 10 states for alcohol-related deaths in 2021, reporting 145 deaths that year attributable to drunk driving, with 21 of those who died being under the age of 21. Oklahoma’s rate of excessive drinking is estimated at 14.1%, and 26.4% of driving fatalities were attributed to excessive drinking.
For more information about RSU, visit www.rsu.edu.