Students who are planning to attempt the infamous "Corner Crawl" on their 21st birthdays now will get a card in the mail from the University reminding them of the dangers of drinking irresponsibly.
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT), a student peer education group, will start mailing birthday cards to University students turning 21 urging them to "Celebrate! And Celebrate Responsibly."
Students should begin receiving cards today, said Susan Bruce, director of the Center for Alcohol and Substance Education (CASE), which works with ADAPT to help promote healthy habits in the student body.
The cards are signed by President John T. Casteen III and will include a wallet-sized pamphlet about the effects of blood alcohol concentration, responsible drinking tips, information about alcohol poisoning and lists of important phone numbers.
Members of ADAPT and CASE kicked off the program in Pavilion XI yesterday by serving free birthday cake and displaying samples of the cards and inserts.
The purpose of the program is to "remind students to be responsible on their 21st birthdays especially in light of what happened in Michigan," ADAPT member Jenny Murrill said.
A University of Michigan student died Nov. 13 after attempting to drink 21 shots of liquor on his 21st birthday. He drank 20 shots in 10 minutes.
At the University, students traditionally become highly intoxicated when they turn 21 by going to bars on the Corner and drinking as many shots as possible - often attempting to drink 21 shots of liquor.
ADAPT and other supporting student groups hope to discourage students from drinking recklessly during their birthday "Corner Crawls."
The Inter-Sorority Council, the Inter-Fraternity Council, Peer Health Educators, Sexual Assault Facts and Education (S.A.F.E.), the Asian Student Union, the Black Fraternal Council, F.E.S.T., First Year Council and the Fourth Year Trustees all are listed on the new birthday cards as supporters of the program.
The President's Office funded the cards, which feature a picture of the Rotunda with fireworks in the nighttime sky behind it. The Parents Program, a fundraising group, gave ADAPT a grant for the informational inserts. CASE will pay the postage for the cards.
Different fact sheets and inserts will be sent with the cards to men and women because men's and women's bodies break down alcohol differently, Bruce said.
The program came from a recommendation made by the Alcohol Advisory Committee at the beginning of the semester, ADAPT member Daya Bill said.
Bill said they modeled the program after similar ones at other colleges including Michigan State, California Polytechnic Institute, and Pomona University.
In the spring, ADAPT will conduct a follow-up survey to see if the cards were effective and how much students actually drank when they turned 21, she said.
Bruce added that not only should the students turning 21 act responsibly, but their friends should refrain from pressuring the new 21-year-olds to drink dangerous amounts.
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