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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Homecoming issue sent right message on booze

Thank you for your coverage of the weekend events paralleling GW’s Homecoming celebration. Too often, Homecoming becomes synonymous with drinking until one cannot see straight.

As manager of the Substance Abuse Prevention Center, I am pleased to see that GW students can be open-minded about their weekend activities and promote aspects of D.C. nightlife for those who choose to socialize without alcohol.

As a campus publication, The GW Hatchet has the power to influence norms and perceptions about how the “typical” GW student chooses to pass time each weekend. Stories such as “Good times exist beyond drinking” (Jan.29, p.G1) and ones that call for safety measures when choosing to engage in the “bar scene fun,” empower students to make decisions they value and are not the result of an imaginary peer pressure to drink.

A recent national study by the CORE Institute on Alcohol and Other Drugs stated that 67 percent of college students do not binge drink. The same study, conducted on our campus, resulted in even more positive findings about the percentage of students who choose to use alcohol responsibly and refrain from illicit drug use.

Thus, The Hatchet did an excellent job representing our population with suggestions about the numerous ways to take advantage of D.C. without drinking. Also, there was a review of the bars, including safety tips for travel between campus and the chosen hangout – as some of our students do choose to socialize in such an environment. The overall theme was “if you do choose to drink, do it legally and safely.”

Granted, it is a bit odd that such advocacy is coupled by an overload of mixed-message advertisements by bars that have “all-you-can-drink” specials and are “stumbling distance” from campus. Yet, these establishments encourage patrons to drink responsibly, which is a bit puzzling.

The Substance Abuse Prevention Center, located in 101 Fulbright Hall, offers a free publication entitled “Where the Good Times Are,” which lists the many wonderful alcohol-free activities, establishments and events that the D.C. metro area has to offer college students.

From gourmet desserts to outdoor adventures to the perfect date, “Where the Good Times Are” offers a variety of listings appealing to all tastes.

I invite all students to stop by for a free copy and a tour of our new facility in the first floor of Fulbright Hall. -The writer is manager of the Substance Abuse Prevention Center.

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