The Pendulum NEWS i Friday, August 23, 2002 •Page 17 Campaign spreads the truth about alcohol consumption Erin Cunninsham News Editor The truth about ycohol con sumption at Elon is surfacing this year as professors and students come together to begin an aware ness campaign. “Our research showed that freshmen come to Elon with mis perceptions about drinking and how to fit in,” said Resa Walch, assistant professor of health educa tion and substance educator. “The misperception is that most students drink a lot. Our goal is to correct those misperceptions with student- led initiatives.” These initiatives involve a part nership between Walch and assis tant professor Jessica Gisclair, whose public relations classes developed a campaign to inform students about the truth concerning alcohol consumption at Elon. “This is a truth campaign,” Walch said. “We are changing mis perceptions in line with what is accurate.” The truth is the majority of Elon students have zero to four drinks when they go to parties, and Elon students rarely miss class because . of alcohol, Walch said. One-third of Elon students drink infrequently or not at all. “A” students drink significantly less than others. Few Elon students are hospitalized for excessive drinking, and those who are usual ly have been drinking large amounts of alcohol quickly, Walch said. Truth messages such as these will be displayed on buttons and worn by campus leaders as part of the campaign, Walch said. “We are really trying strengthen peer initiatives with alcohol awareness,” she said- “These are student-initiated and student-created campaigns.” Gisclair’s classes learned about the issues and the truth and put together campaigns to get the information to their peers. Parts of these projects will be seen and heard around campus as part of the alcohol truth campaign. “I felt it was a social issue that Some facts about alcohol at Elon... The Elon community endorses a range of low-risk drinking choices, including the choice not to drink at all. Most Elon students drink zero to four drinks per week. Most Elon students, 57 percent, do not drink to the point of engaging in behavior they later regret. Low-risk drinking includes setting limits in advance. Very few Elon students are hospitalized for exces sive drinking, and those who are usually have been drinking shots. Avoid drinking games — they are always high risk. Our research showed that freshmen come to Elon with misper ceptions about drinking and how to fit in. The misperception is that most students drink a lot. Our goal is to correct those misper ceptions with student-led initiatives. —Resa Walch, assistant professor of health education and substance educator y y needed to be addressed,” Gisclair said. “The job is to reach as many people as possible.” The campaign will include pub lic service announcements on advertisements in The endulum, messages posted on E- net and a Web site. Student leaders ave asked to endorse the campaign, student lead- ers to buy into this,” Walch said, e campaign will progress in segments throughout Jy^. “We *”'P*®nient different ^ ° „^^^Paign throughout the year, Walch said cr^wiicr '-^Paign to SGA. which message. “As the SGA, we thought it was important to endorse the universi ty’s low-risk stance on alcohol consumption,” SGA President Christian Wiggins said. We want to be socially responsible as stu dent leaders.” The program focus is on the first-year student. “Our primary appeal is education, and then we hold you responsible,” Walch said. “Our goal is to reduce the risk for every student who chooses to drink and recognize the student who chooses not to drink.” Walch said the campaign is not expected to work overnight. “We ^heck out The Pendulum online: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum Recent grads' company sells the latest in dorm-room chic Becky Bartindale Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT) SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As students across the country head to college, a team of new gradu ates from Santa Clara University is competing on the Internet to equip them with the latest in dorm-room chic. Whether it's a compact microwave-refrigerator combo ($319), posters of Jimi Hendrix or Britney Spears ($6.99), or those elusive extra-long twin-sheet sets ($24.95), AIIDorm.com strives to deliver every wholesome thing a student might want or need, all from one handy Web site. AllDorm, Inc. grew from a class project and bloomed into an Internet company all before its founders started their junior year. The company opened for business in July 2000 selling about 50 items. Since then, it has added hundreds of products and attract ed outside investment. AllDorm operates out Santa Clara and pitches itself as a one- stop site for a range of dorm-room products at bargain prices. At least one observer who has followed AllDorm's progress says he thinks the company has a decent shot at surviving and thriv ing, despite fierce competition and a tough economy. In fact, he argues, the downturn might have helped. "That's different from Internet^ companies that needed a lot of money to create a product," Burnham said. If AllDorm "can stay alive long enough to start growing revenues," he said, "in another year they will be quite attractive to investors." The company is ever-mindful about projecting a wholesome image. The last thing it wants to do is turn off parents. That is why there is no "over 18" section on" the site, as some competitors have, selling products such as kinky sex kits, furry handcuffs and edible undies. But selling to students via the Internet is tricky business, mar keting experts say. "One would be hard-pressed to find many examples of using the Internet to market products to col lege students that have been high ly successful," said Eric Weil, managing partner of Student Monitor, LLC, a market research company focusing exclusively on college students. How fast to grow is one of the biggest challenges AllDorm faces. OfficeMax would like to welcome back all Elon Students and Faculty! OfficeMax’ *10 OFFtcfc PHOOucis • HusiNfSb • runriTUf>i OFF AN^URCHASE OF RFTY DOLLARS OR MORE. £xpir««: _ _ OMy ctMpOA p*t Mm gMod oVmm or tor OWwiM— «i«M pmfmam. N* f^nnii ij iTrrin f Alpha Omicron Pi would like to thank OfficeMax for thoir supportlll Acapulco Cancun Jamaica Bahamas Florida ITRAVBL ^ ISKRVICES 800-648-4849 www.ststravel.com Promote trips at Elon University and earn cash and free travel!!!

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