Almost any day in the United States and approximately once a week here in Montana, you can pick up a newspaper and read a story about an alcohol related crash. For instance, last week, a 32-year-old woman who had been drinking smashed her car into a home just outside of Missoula.
Fortunately for her, no one was at home in the mobile home in the Blue Mountain Trailer Court. She had been driving 90 mph on Highway 93, and it certainly did a lot of damage. She was taken to the Community Medical Center.
Partly because of knowledge of stories like this, and partly because of what they have seen on their own campus, the University of Montana Tech has instituted a new program for Fall 2011 called AlcoholEdu. All of the freshmen who are between the ages of 18 and 21 are required to take the course. It uses surveys, videos, blogs, and chats to educate students on alcohol safety and awareness.
Montana Tech Student Life Counselor, Joyce O’Neill said, "We wanted to do something proactive about alcohol. Every school in higher education struggles with alcohol and we really wanted to address this and help our students." U of Montana Tech had heard that other universities were successful, and so they believe that it will be for them as well.
O’Neill said that not only does the program teach the students, but it also gives them scenarios and situations to help them to have the tools to make good decisions. “We recognize that students are going to make their own choices around alcohol. We want to provide them with strategies. Not just don’t drink, but real strategies on how to handle the situation.”
Each incoming student will spend about 2 to 3 hours on the program. Some have complained about how long it takes (hey, it’s barely longer than a good movie!) but overall the students’ reactions have been good. O’Neill thinks that students are still going to make their own choices about the use of alcohol, but at least now they will have more information on which to base those choices.
This could mean the difference between failing or passing courses, going home healthy or passing out, or even living or passing on. Six weeks into the school year, the students will fill out a questionnaire regarding the course and its influence.
