Party plans for Leap Day? How about an alcohol-awareness event…

The promoters are calling it “UWGB House Party 2012” and sending out invitations for a special gathering starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, in Phoenix B of the University Union. The event shines a spotlight on the college party culture with the aim of helping students learn more about the effects of alcohol, what a standard drink is, how to avoid high-risk drinking, and pointers for those who prefer an alcohol-free approach.  The evening’s events are organized by the Student Affairs Healthy Choices Task Force.

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Address by nationally known AODA speaker
At 7:15 p.m. at the “House Party,” featured speaker Erica Upshaw will talk about her Keep Friendship Alive Program and its message of “partying smart and taking care of your friends.” Upshaw became a regular on the college lecture circuit after her older brother died. A student at the same college she attended, he succumbed to a deadly mix of alcohol and drugs in 2000. She emphasizes that binging is common and just as dangerous for “good” students who periodically feel entitled to blow off steam, as it is for students struggling with ongoing AODA problems.