Two Cal Poly students put together their senior projects in attempt to slow the trend in San Luis Obispo.
Social science seniors Alex Iversen and KC Chaffee said they have imagined Flipside as a way to educate Cal Poly students on the ‘flip side’ of a weekend of partying.
“We know that there are general things that are normal for students to see at a party/bar, and we want to show them the realities of the things that they do not see and tend not to worry about,” Iversen said.
Chaffee said she hoped Flipside would be a chance for students to learn about the consequences of DUI, sexual assault, alcohol poisoning, addiction and many other problems that often get overlooked in a weekend of partying.
Why the desire to promote alcohol education? Chaffee and Iversen have been working closely with the Drug and Alcohol Services of San Luis Obispo County while at Cal Poly.
“We have seen and heard firsthand [about the] negative effects alcohol use and abuse can have on students,” Chaffee said. “Flipside is a chance for Cal Poly students to be educated on the consequences of alcohol use for themselves and the community at large.”
Iversen pointed out the correlation between alcohol abuse and its role in such things as being cited for DUI, alcohol poisoning, sexual assault and many other issues.
Working with Chaffee, Iversen had his plan put into action Oct. 28 when Flipside was showcased in the Chumash Auditorium. Stephen Lamb, the Associate Director, Student Life & Leadership and advisor to the Interfraternity Council at Cal Poly, made attendance at Flipside necessary for all new fraternity members.
Iversen said that the project’s goal is to answer important questions regarding alcohol abuse. The Flipside event was set up to offer vital information on alcohol-related issues, including the cost of a DUI, determining when friends have consumed too much alcohol and dealing with sexual assault.
“It is our hope that by sharing the knowledge these speakers bring to the table, together we can make our community a safer and healthier place to live,” Chaffee said.
Flipside is a response to the general attitude the two have noticed in regard to alcohol, Iversen said.
“We realize that drinking is a socially accepted part of the college experience and its unsafe use is often touted as the college experience,” he added.
Iversen hopes that the Flipside presentation will continue to provide Cal Poly students with useful resources relating to alcohol issues. He hopes that the presentation will be used annually to educate students and provide alternatives to weekend alcohol use.
Chaffee said that she and Iversen will be writing up a report on the project’s implementation and are hoping that Flipside becomes an annual event.
Lamb has been working with Iversen and Chaffee to create an effective awareness event for all new pledges at Cal Poly this year.
“Our goal (in supporting Flipside) was to ensure that there was consistent and accurate information given to the new fraternity men regarding alcohol, the state of community relations as it connects with alcohol, and the physiological responses of alcohol, so that everybody had the same information,” Lamb said.
Though most of the participants were men, some sorority members attended as well. Lamb called the turnout “phenomenal” saying that a panel guided the discussion, which included some questions from the audience. The panel included medical representatives, experts on the relation between sexual issues and alcohol abuse, a representative from the UPD, Dr. Bisheff and RN Sue Fortier from Sierra Vista Emergency Room, Drug and Alcohol Services and Chief Deb Linden of the San Luis Obispo Police Department.
Flipside was kicked off on Wednesday with the premiere of a movie that focused on Carson Starkey, a Cal Poly freshman who died last year from alcohol poisoning while pledging a local fraternity. Lamb said the showing “framed the evening.”
He characterized the event as highly successful in terms of attendance: over 700 individuals showed up, to a standing-room-only crowd.
“We’ve always had a component of new member information,” Lamb said. “Now we have a model that we will absolutely replicate in the future.”