Spring 2008 — Vol. 61, No. 2

Clemson students are driving EMpower Clemson — a movement to combat alcohol abuse.

by Carrie DuPre
Photography by Craig Mahaffey

Alcohol and college campuses are culturally linked — this isn’t a new phenomenon, and Clemson certainly isn’t unique in facing this challenge. Where Clemson is unique, however, is in the strong collaboration between administrators and students in the fight against the dangers of student drinking.

An ‘everybody’ resource

Biochemistry major Lindsey McKinney had an idea for a campaign to promote healthy decision-making in regard to alcohol. She took that idea to administrators in the fall of 2005.

Her theme of empowering Clemson became a student government initiative the very next semester. By fall 2007, the initiative earned its own official office in the student affairs division, where it serves as a resource and clearinghouse for alcohol safety issues. It’s also home base for the Clemson Community Coalition.

Under the direction of prevention specialist for alcohol safety Kathy Cauthen, the office operates with two student workers, one graduate assistant, a student advisory board and McKinney.

“We’re a small group, but we’re mighty,” says Cauthen.

Charged with facilitating alcohol-safety initiatives on campus, in coordination with other campus entities like Redfern Health Center, ClemsonLiVE and First Year Experience, EMpower Clemson is an “everybody” resource.

McKinney says, “EMpower Clemson is a way for our students, community, staff and faculty to really be able to empower one another to make smart decisions. It’s a way for us to be One Clemson when it comes to addressing alcohol responsibility.”

Providing choices

Part of the success of the initiative so far has been that people know it’s student-led.

“It’s not about eliminating alcohol on campus because that isn’t realistic,” says Allison Toney, a graduate assistant in counselor education. “It’s about making the right choices.”

During its first year, EMpower Clemson has facilitated many conversations across campus and beyond, generating a lot of buzz about personal responsibility.

The group partnered with the city of Clemson to promote safe, healthy behavior, with Mayor Larry Abernathy’s proclaiming November 9 as “EMpower Day.”

The same weekend, EMpower Clemson hosted an alcohol-free tailgate party before the Wake Forest football game, complete with free food, music, giveaways, games and photos at Littlejohn Coliseum. More than 1,100 people attended.

Challenging the Clemson community

President Jim Barker is a strong supporter of the cause and has added his voice to the conversation. Prompted by the alcohol-related death of an 18-year-old freshman late in the fall semester, Barker challenged faculty and staff to continue working together to find an answer.

“What is needed is a culture change, and that is the most difficult thing to effect from the outside,” says Barker. “We have the attention of the students, and many are stepping forward to take ownership of the problem and to find solutions.”

Part of finding solutions is analyzing how alcohol affects the Clemson community. Public health sciences professor Hugh Spitler is wrapping up a three-year study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to do just that.

It has also sought to educate freshmen through an alcohol skills training program while collecting data about their alcohol habits. As with the overall EMpower initiative, a main part of the success of this freshman program is student involvement, with about 18 undergraduate peer health educators conducting the training.

“If I do it, I’m just another grumpy, middle-aged guy like their dad lecturing to them,” says Spitler. “But when the students conduct the sessions, it’s more compelling, and the freshmen are less likely to tune out.”

As one of only 15 universities supported by this NIAAA grant, Clemson again finds itself in a position to be a leader in innovative approaches to addressing student issues. One area in which we already stand out among our peers is our administrative support of the initiative.

Expanding options

EMpower Clemson is increasing alternative programming this year to give students additional options for healthy and safe events. Plans include repeating successful events from last semester like stress-relieving opportunities before finals and a football tailgate. It will also support existing programming including ClemsonLiVE’s First Friday events, which use donations from the Parents Fund to offer free entertainment once a month.

Promotion and outreach will also be high priorities in the coming year. Student Emmett Dalton will work on increasing communication efforts and building online promotion, and student La’Donte Harris (former Tiger wide receiver) will focus on spreading the message of personal responsibility to local youth.

“I get out and reach younger people,” says Harris. “By being here, I can help influence them to do good things.”

EMpower Clemson will continue to grow in alcohol safety resources and support that will arm members of the Clemson family with the tools they need to make responsible choices.

For more information, go to www.clemson.edu/empower or call (864) 656-0470.