Greeks hope to fix image

    GCSU members of Alpha Delta Pi sorority learned that sororities and fraternities represent a large portion of the 44 percent of college students who drink excessively.
    These Greeks are participating in the number one downfall of educational success, binge drinking.   
    “If Greeks are a major contribution to the high statistics of binge drinking, we want to help improve the negative image,” said Gabbie Billings, the director of Standard and Ethics for the GCSU chapter, Zeta Iota.
    Billings wants to use the information presented for the betterment of GCSU Greek life. 
    GCSU’s  ADPi chapter attended an alcohol awareness seminar in Peachtree City as part of  its District Leadership Conference. All ADPi chapters in the Southeast attend DLC to prepare for the upcoming semester.
     Dr. Lori Hart Ebert, speaker for Campuspeak Inc., lead the seminar. Ebert said students believe they are socially drinking to obtain a buzz, but in reality they are participating in binge drinking.
    Binge drinking is excessively drinking more than two nights a week foregoing usual activities.
    Universities are quickly labeling binge drinking has the biggest issue on campus. Ebert presented facts from the Higher Education Center saying roughly 62 percent of sorority members engage in binge drinking compared to the 40 percent of non-affiliated women who binge drink.    
    Even though Ebert said not all sororities have such a high percentage of binge drinkers, the facts still shocked some members of the convention.
    “It’s scary thinking about the risks of binge drinking and the high percent of girls who binge drink,” said Belle Massie, the director of Social Enrichment for the University of Georgia ADPi chapter, Beta Nu.  “Sororities really need to take a stand regardless of if the statistics apply to us specifically.”
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list side effects of binge drinking: unintentional injury, alcohol poisoning, sexual transmitted disease, unintended pregnancy, liver disease, neurological damage and cardio vascular disease.
    The ADPi members learned more common affects of binge drinking affecting students on a daily bases include missing class and falling behind in schoolwork. 
    Ebert’s presentation outlined tips for reducing the risks of alcohol use and binge drinking: obeying the law, knowing what a standard drink is, slowly drinking one drink per hour, setting limits and keeping track, alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks and avoiding drinking games.      Billings said the ADPi chapter at GCSU will be planning an alcohol awareness event later this semester to help promote the ideas shared by Ebert. Details of the alcohol awareness event will be released through Facebook.
    “(Ebert’s) tips are really helpful not just for ADPi and the Greek system, but for the entire student body at GCSU,” said Billings.  “However, the whole Greek system can set a better example.” 

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 15 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry