Health & Society

Celebrating Wellness with National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week

Monday, October 21, 2019, By Gabrielle Lake

College students nationwide annually celebrate the third week of October as National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW).  This week marks the importance of holistic wellness, highlights educational resources and features countless campus events that host fun and welcoming recreation alternatives.

The Be Wise peer educators of the Barnes Center at The Arch have worked to plan and will implement the week’s activities.  Be Wise peer educators believe in educating and empowering peers to make healthy choices and decisions regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs, while supporting students who choose to not use. Through nonjudgmental dialogue and the sharing of educational information, these students are committed to making a difference on campus.

“I think this is going to be an extraordinary week as we spread awareness, educate and create alternatives around the topic of alcohol for our peers,” says Jazmine Richardson ’22, Be Wise peer educator. “I am super excited to attend Sans Bar, where I can enjoy a great mocktail.”

Health Hub
Try your chance at Be Wise Jeopardy on Tuesday, Oct. 22, by visiting the Health Hub. Answer questions relating to alcohol safety, recovery and more to win prizes. Check @BeWellSU to confirm the location of the Health Hub.

Cheers to the Future
The campus community is invited to attend this free educational dinner on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Life Sciences Complex Atrium. This progressive dinner style conversation will explore how alcohol, cannabis and other drugs effect students and their futures as they move beyond college and into the professional world.

Sans Bar
On Friday, Oct. 25, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Barnes Center at The Arch Recreation Atrium, the campus is welcome to enjoy a free nightclub like atmosphere, mocktails, games, music and fun at Sans Bar.

“Exciting programing and events do not end following the conclusion of NCAAW. The campus community works to provide a variety of exciting events and activities throughout the academic year, especially as 29 percent of incoming SU students report abstaining from alcohol use,” says Bianca Newton, alcohol and other drug prevention health promotion specialist within the Barnes Center at The Arch (EVERFI 2019). “We encourage the exploration of the Syracuse University events calendar, where the campus community will find a variety of events to meet all interests.”

Past NCAAW and throughout the academic year, Orange After Dark (OAD), offers a variety of events every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On average, 1,616 SU students choose to attend OAD events that do not center around alcohol each weekend (Orange After Dark and Recreation Utilization 2019).

For more information or to request accommodations, please contact Bianca Netwon at banewton@syr.edu or by calling 315.443.8000.