Safe La Crosse
Initiative
Safe La Crosse is a community-based initiative that encourages safe and
responsible behavior related to alcohol consumption. The Tri-campus
Advocacy Group developed the concept as a means of promoting awareness
and comprehensive safety practices. The goal is to significantly reduce
alcohol related injury in our community. The University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse, Viterbo University and Western Technical College are planning a
number of activities on their respective campuses to promote Safe La
Crosse.
In
a key initiative, marketing and communications students from UW-L have
developed an ad campaign
designed to promote awareness throughout the community. The ad campaign
follows the theme: You wouldn’t
leave your cellphone, why would you leave your friends? This message
will be displayed throughout the community, including at local taverns.
The theme will promote safe practices in alcohol consumption through a
friend-to-friend approach. Other elements of the student campaign
include:
·
Oktoberfest Sobering
Area – A central location where individuals could stop by to get a bite
to eat and non-alcoholic beverages before heading home.
·
“Intolerance to Drunk
Driving and Underage Drinking” presentation by former Miss America
Jennifer Berry (Monday, Sept. 17, Viterbo; Tuesday, Sept. 18, UW-L)
·
Rectoberfest – This is
a late night alcohol alternative activity providing food, games, prizes,
and fun. Open to the public, the event will be held on the first Friday
of Oktoberfest. Last year the event brought over 500 students from all
three campuses. (Friday, Sept. 28, Recreational Eagle Center at UW-L).
Other initiatives
involving all three campuses:
-
Operation River
Watch – This is a tri-campus student initiative partnering with the
La Crosse police to patrol the Mississippi River in downtown La
Crosse on Thursday-Saturday evenings during the academic
year. Student volunteers from all three campuses provide extra sets
of eyes to support safety along the river front.
-
Safe Ride – the
Safe Ride bus offers a safe travel option between downtown and the
three college campuses on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
Students, friends, and the general public ride free. Safe Ride began
in 2000.
-
In 2007, the
Changing the Culture of Risky
Drinking Behavior grant was awarded to La Crosse Medical Health
Science Consortium by the Medical College of Wisconsin to address
the serious burden of alcohol related injuries in La Crosse. The
three campuses, along with Gundersen Lutheran and Franciscan Skemp
are partners in this effort.
UW-La Crosse
initiatives
-
Safety on the
Sidewalk (SOS) – The SOS program at UW-L is a campus volunteer
service that provides safe walks on campus and up to 13 blocks
off-campus. This service is available seven nights a week (when fall
and spring term classes are in session) to all students, faculty,
and staff who seek a safe alternative to walking alone.
-
Staff support – A
new Community Health Specialist position was created at UW-L to
connect a broad array of health-related issues for students,
including responsible choices with alcohol and other drugs. Sara
Burton, a UW-L soccer coach and teacher, has now added a component
of her position to connect our athletics programs to our community
health efforts and will work closely with the new Community Health
Specialist.
-
Reach and Share – A
peer educational outreach effort with the primary goal to help
create a healthy and productive campus and community environment.
Through programming and passive education we hope to give students
the information that will allow them to make safe and educated
choices.
-
Late Night
Programming – Initiated in 2003, the UW-L Office of Residence Life
has designated $10,000 to sponsor weekend late night alternative
programming.
Viterbo University
initiatives
-
VU After Dark
with
lively and entertaining weekend late night programs will premiere at
Viterbo this fall. The new Student Program Assistant will work with
Campus Activities and Residence Life to offer exciting on-campus
programs every weekend including band battles, bingo, card
tournaments, casino nights, comedians, hypnotists, game shows, and
mystery trips. Viterbo also plans a greater number of recreational
tournaments and outdoor concerts in 2007-2008.
-
Viterbo staff
members working in health services, residence life, athletics, and
student development will add brief alcohol and drug interventions to
their repertoire of alcohol and other drug reduction activities.
Such interventions are shown to be one of the most effective ways to
reduce misuse of alcohol.
-
The families of
incoming Viterbo freshmen are mailed a letter and brochure from the
Vice President for Student Development. The information sent
encourages a conversation between parents and students prior to the
start of a collegiate career. Issues to be addressed in the
conversation are expectations and perceptions about alcohol,
encouraging campus involvement and developing a plan for safety of
self and others, etc.
Western Technical
College initiatives
-
Project 21 – A
birthday card project where businesses offer free or discounted food
or services to help students safely celebrate their 21st birthdays
without alcohol.
-
Western has hired a
new AODA/Student Activities Specialist, who is coordinating
classroom presentations, speakers/events, and Project 21.
-
Western initiated a
Zero Tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs in its residence halls,
along with a Good Samaritan Practice to encourage dangerously
intoxicated students to seek medical care without fear of formal
conduct action. Western has a
new student alcohol and drug testing policy to identify students on
campus who are possibly under the influence and a possible threat to
the safety of themselves or others.
-
Western refers
students who have received an underage drinking citation to the AODA
Counselor for a discussion about responsible decision making.
-
Western is offering
a new course called Alcohol and Drug Intervention Education for the
College-Aged Student.
A
number of key community organizations have also endorsed Safe La Crosse.
As part of this endorsement, these organizations have agreed to promote
safe practices within their respective organizations:
·
The La Crosse Tavern
League
·
The La Crosse Medical
Health Science Consortium
·
Gundersen Lutheran
·
Franciscan Skemp
·
The Oktoberfest Board
·
Downtown Mainstreet,
Inc.
·
The City of La Crosse
Police Department
