Student group promotes responsible fun
Aug. 20, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- Many first-year students think the only way to fit in and have fun at college is to include alcohol in their social activities.
At Western Michigan University, members of the 5-year-old group Students Socializing Safely, or S3, help correct this misconception by proving they don't need alcohol and other drugs to have a great time in college. S3 matches the newcomers with returning students who serve as mentors during their first four weeks on campus. The mentors maintain constant contact with the participating freshmen, showing them the ins and outs of campus life, acting as a support system and emphasizing healthy lifestyle choices throughout college.
The group also schedules free social activities. First up this year will be a skating party at Lawson Ice Arena from 9 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, and a WMU spirit and scavenger hunt at Waldo Stadium and the Student Recreation Center from 1:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. Other upcoming activities will include a murder mystery theatre presentation of "Extra! Extra! Murder in the Newsroom" at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, in the Dalton Center and a party in the Student Recreation Center from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.
S3 is led by WMU students and a coordinator from WMU's Student Activities and Leadership Programs office. The group works with various staff members at the University as well as students, parents and high school counselors across Michigan to encourage new freshmen to participate. For more information, contact Beth Schwartz in Student Activities and Leadership Programs at (269) 387-2565 or <schwartzb@groupwise.wmich.edu>.
Media contact: Jeanne Baron, 269 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu