The United Residence Hall Council’s Alcohol Awareness Street Fair TARH Program of the Year 2016 University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Brief Details  Name: Alcohol Awareness Street Fair  Date: March week before Spring Break  Type: Educational – Alcohol safety awareness.  Target: All students, particularly those with plans for parties and travel over the incoming spring break.  Relevance: While UTK is a dry campus, alcohol use and abuse is a prevalent and overwhelming issue for many college students. Particularly during spring break, the risk for alcohol-related accidents increases for college students, and deaths involving alcohol use are highest for teens and college-age individuals.

Goals  Educate students about the severity of alcohol abuse and the danger of judgment impairment that one experiences when intoxicated.  Educate students about the physical effects of intoxication.  Educate students about ways to avoid alcohol-related accidents in situations where alcohol intake occurs.

Program Summary  The Alcohol Awareness Street Fair took place in UTK’s Presidential Court, a courtyard area surrounded by five residence halls that house the majority of UT’s first year students.  Officers from UT Police Department attended and sponsored the event and set up stations where students could wear drunk goggles and attempt to walk, play “beer” pong with lemonade and Gatorade, or play a version of Wii Mario Kart in which the car was controlled by a steering wheel and pedal.  UTPD officers also spoke on ways to detect alcohol poisoning in a person, important numbers to call during alcohol related incidents, and preventative measures such as calling a taxi cab instead of driving, setting a personal limit on drink intake, etc.

Program Summary (continued)  Representatives from UT’s Center for Health, Education, and Wellness also appeared to speak about the medical dangers of alcohol abuse and the factors alcohol played in physical, emotional, and sexual health.  Representatives from Zipcar, a nationwide car rental service, passed out information regarding car rentals in popular destinations for spring break (Florida, North Carolina, etc.) and provided advice on selecting and utilizing designated drivers.  Food was served to residents as well as discussions went on, and many students asked important questions regarding dangers of alcohol use amongst college students

Financial Report  Drunk goggles and Mario Kart = borrowed from UTPD  Tables and ping pong balls = borrowed from residence halls  Food (hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, soda) = 55.00

Evaluation – How did we meet our goals?  Educate students about the severity of alcohol abuse and the danger of judgment impairment that one experiences when intoxicated.  Students participated in informative discussions with UTPD officers and health professionals about how one’s impaired judgment when intoxicated can lead to poor sexual health, driving while under the influence, and alcohol poisoning.  Educate students about the physical effects of intoxication.  Students got to get a glimpse of what it was like to be severely intoxicated by wearing the drunk goggles and walking around or playing the games provided. Health officials also provided information on the internal damage alcohol abuse inflicts on the body.  Educate students about ways to avoid alcohol-related accidents in situations where alcohol intake occurs.  Students learned about alcohol crisis management and alternatives to driving while intoxicated.

Evaluation (continued)  Student involvement: Two residence hall associations assisted with grilling and serving hot dogs and hamburgers at the event to attract students to stop at the street fair.  Advertising: Fliers, Facebook and Twitter ads.  Feasibility: Very feasible and fun for other campuses. Recommend utilizing campus police department and local taxi services.  Future changes: Later start time if utilizing outdoor screens for videogames. More stations to play “beer” pong and Mario Kart.