Men's and Women's Fraternities and Colleges Plan Dialogue and Action to Combat Alcohol Abuse
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Sept. 25, 2000--
Undergraduate men`s and women`s fraternity leaders, together with senior administrators, at 25 colleges and universities are planning a Day of Dialogue -- frank discussions about student alcohol abuse and how ''destructive it is to the academic community.''
''We are going to come to grips with high-risk drinking,'' said Edward G. Whipple, vice president for student affairs at Bowling Green State University. Whipple is convenor of the Greek Summit, the organization advocating the Day of Dialogue discussions.
''The actions caused by alcohol abuse among many fraternity and sorority members are more frightening than they have ever been,'' Whipple said. ''At each campus the Day of Dialogue will be designed to force people to talk about behaviors and issues that they may not want to talk about.''
The Greek Summit is an informal association of national officers and executive directors of national and international men`s and women`s fraternities and senior administrators in charge of student affairs at public and private colleges and universities. The Greek Summit members meet annually to work to achieve positive change in the lives of undergraduate men`s and women`s fraternity members.
The Day of Dialogue is the Greek Summit`s ''first initiative,'' said Terrence J. Hogan, dean of students at Ohio University, Athens, OH, and co-chair of the Day of Dialogue steering committee. The other co-chair is Lissa Bradford of Nashville, TN, past chairman of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC). The NPC is the association of 26 women`s fraternities.
The concept for a Day of Dialogue on the culture of alcohol among undergraduates in the fraternity and sorority community came out of the 1999 Greek Summit meeting.
The Day of Dialogue will bring together students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members in a day-long discussion of alcohol-related problems and solutions. The discussions are aimed at building a foundation for collaborative, campus-based action. The 25 colleges and universities planning a Day of Dialogue range from the University of Florida, University of Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M; to University of Dayton, Otterbein College, Southern Methodist and Vanderbilt.
Joining with the Greek Summit as national sponsors of the Day of Dialogue are the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, National Panhellenic Conference, National Pan-Hellenic Council, North-American Interfraternity Conference, National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, Association of Fraternity Advisors, the Alcohol-free Housing Alliance, the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, the Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol, and M-J Insurance.
Colleges and universities participating in the initial round of Day of Dialogue are:
Ball State, Bowling Green State, Dayton, Delaware, Eastern Michigan, University of Missouri - Columbia, Lenoir-Rhyne, Florida, Idaho, Miami (Ohio), New Hampshire, Ohio University, Oklahoma State, Otterbein, Rochester, South Alabama, Southern Methodist, Southwest Texas State, Syracuse, Texas A&M;, Tulane, Vanderbilt, West Texas A&M;, West Virginia, and Wittenburg.
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