Some choose cans, others choose bottles. Some prefer bars to house parties. Some choose beer rather than something a little stronger. Now, with a grant from the federal government, Mississippi State and the Starkville community are hoping to encourage underage students to choose to “Stay Dry!” until they reach the legal drinking age.
Joyce Yates, director of the Division of Health Education and Wellness, worked with April Heiselt, assistant professor of counseling and educational psychology, to write the request for the grant from the U.S. Education Department. The University of Mississippi and the Mississippi University for Women are collaborating with Mississippi State to implement the goals of the grant.
“It’s not just an individual problem but a collective problem,” Yates said. “We’re having wonderful partnerships with the community.”
Yates said through the grant, students will be equipped and educated about how to help other students make the right choices about alcohol.
“The goal is not to point a finger or be preachy,” Heiselt said. “The goal is to make sure everyone has a safe and fun environment while they’re here.”
Posters, napkins and a Web site are soon to be available and seen on campus and in the community. Events that offer alternatives to drinking and speakers such as Beth Holloway, the mother of an Alabama high school senior who disappeared on a spring break trip, will also be coming soon. Programs offered to students exist to help them be as healthy as they can be, and with that health comes success, Yates said.
“We are looking every day at the college age drinking environment,” she said. “We want students to feel safe and healthy.”
Heiselt said she wants students to evaluate what they can lose versus what they can win. Important things, like career opportunities, can be destroyed because of alcohol, she said.
“I’m not saying don’t drink, I’m saying wait until it’s legal,” she said. “There are so many fun things to do without drinking.”
AJ, who did not want his full name disclosed, is twenty with a love for drinking. The sophomore chemistry major said he started drinking in high school.
“Some do because their friends drink. We had a boring town and there was nothing else to do,” AJ said.
AJ said drinking is popular in college.
“We don’t think of the consequences we just have fun. We don’t do it for attention,” he said.
AJ said drinking is a way to get to know people and friends better. Even when it makes him sick sometimes, he said it is worth it because he enjoyed it.
“I love hanging out with my friends because when you drink, you’re not as shy,” he said.
Yates said with the “Stay Dry!” program, merchants of Starkville are encouraged to replace fake identification used by minors with a card that tells of what could happen to the minor or to the merchant because of an illegal alcohol sale.
AJ said making an illegal ID is as easy as searching online. He said “good ones” are easier to find and use near the coast. The student said he had a Mexican ID so no one would ask questions. The forged identification ranges from $100 to $200, he said.
“It’s really not worth it because the fine, if you’re caught, is like $700,” he said. “Go to Rick’s and you’ll get caught automatically because they know in this area to look for fakes. So, it’d probably be really hard to use a fake ID here.”
Underage drinking is seen by many as a victimless crime. It is until someone under the influence gets behind the wheel of a car. A student may think that another student’s drinking may not affect them. However, awareness of when someone else has had too much to drink, or if someone is passed out and unresponsive can save a life.
“Say something. Always say something,” Yates said. “Don’t be afraid to call for help. It saves lives.”
Yates said traffic accidents, date rape and low class attendance are all very real and possible affects of drinking. She said the goal is not to judge, but to educate, to see students have fun and meet goals.
“I’ve worked with students all my life and you love it when you see a student smile when they get that diploma. They’ve come through some storms, but they just beam,” she said. “In my eyes that’s how you want to see every student – with a big smile on their face because they’ve done it. They’ve succeeded and survived college life.”