By EVELINA RAMIREZ Freelancer
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, in the Heritage Hall ballroom, members of SPEAK (Students
Promoting Equity Activism and Knowledge) and the Peer Mentors dedicated an hour
to share some useful tips on “thinking before drinking.”
SPEAK is a student club that branches out of Abby’s House, and their mission is to
foster equality, tolerance, and understanding by providing a safe environment where all people can express their ideas.
Yasmine Alvarez, psychology major and president of SPEAK, presented eight precautions to take while in a drinking situation including: eat first, be well hydrated, plan your transportation, carry condoms, choose your drinks wisely and alternate them with non-alcoholic drinks. She added not to allow strangers to pour your drinks, and coffee won’t sober you up.
“I work at Abby’s House to educate and promote activism in current and long standing issues,” Alvarez said.
Following the important tips, Kevin Gutierrez, Alheli Figueroa, and Alvarez presented a skit of a party scene gone wrong where the tips given previously were not being followed. They re-presented the skit with all the right decisions
to help the audience understand what they are supposed to do to be safe.
To demonstrate the need to be safe even further, there were beer goggles available to those who wanted to try them on and go through some obstacle courses. Some of the obstacles included catching and throwing hackey sacks, walking around tables, and hula hooping.
Another challenge had a person sit on a chair with wheels and roll in a straight
line, following a line of blue tape on the floor.
Carter Birch, a computer science major, said, “I was parallel with the line until the halfway point, then I crossed it and was parallel on the other side; it is impossible to complete the line.”
SPEAK and the Peer Mentors also organized a fun and non-alcoholic drinking station
where the attendees could try out mocktails. Ingredients like orange juice, Shasta
Twist Lemon Lime, and cranberry juice were available for students to try the non-alcoholic concoctions. Some of the drinks included hurricanes, frozen virgin margaritas, and the classic Shirley Temples.
For more information about Abby’s House and SPEAK check out wou.edu/abbyshouse
or email Speak@ wou.edu
