Sober in October to raise drunk driving awareness with mock-bar crawl, car crash scene
October is a time of changing colors, creepy costumes and, now, a few very sobering lessons.
Sober in October, a series of events focusing on alcohol abuse awareness, kicked off the month with its first event Tuesday at the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium. About 80 students attended the free event sponsored by Phi Sigma Pi and Students Against Drunk Driving, which focused on drunk driving prevention.
Wixom senior Bryan Page, president of Phi Sigma Pi, said this is the third year the group has helped put on Sober in October along with SADD.
“I think the sad reality is that drunk driving is very prevalent, especially in a college town,” Page said. “Whether they get caught or not, we all know people who drink and drive. We do this event to raise more awareness about this issue.”
During the presentation, Central Michigan University Police Officer Jeff Ballard educated attendees about the laws, sobriety tests and penalties involved with drinking and driving. Two representatives from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and CMU students shared testimonies about how drunk driving impacted them to help people better understand how severe the consequences can be.
During the last week of October, Clarkston senior Lauren Elias, vice president of SADD, said the group will pair with Delta Phi Epsilon to put on a mock-drunk driving car crash. During the reenactment a car that was actually involved in a drunk driving accident will be brought in, actors will pretend to play the victims and real police officers will be present.
“It’s to bring awareness to such a serious issue we sometimes overlook,” Elias said. “People often don’t understand how frequently it occurs and the consequences of making the decision to drink and drive.”
The next event for Sober in October will be a bar crawl 9 p.m. Friday in the Trout Hall Lounge. Travis Gibler, who will help run the event, said it will center around alcohol education and what students can do when they face issues brought about by alcohol.
The Buckley junior said participants will be shown three different party situations highlighting different issues, including alcohol poisoning and encounters with the police.
“More than anything it’s an alternative to going out and drinking on Friday night,” Gibler said. “You don’t need to have alcohol in your life to have a good time. It’s a really cool initiative on campus to promote sober lifestyles for the month.”
Elias said the group’s main goal isn’t necessarily to stop people from drinking and they aren’t trying to prevent people from having a good time. Instead, they are trying to educate people how to do it safely, she said.
“I think the biggest thing we’re advocating for is responsible choices,” Elias said. “‘Staying responsible in October’ just isn’t as catchy.”
