DATE: April 15, 2009

CONTACT: Kathy Cauthen, 864-656-3053
kcauthe@clemson.edu

WRITER: Angela Nixon, 864-656-0382
anixon@clemson.edu

Clemson students try to curb drinking and driving with Think Ahead campaign

CLEMSON – EMpower Clemson, the Clemson Community Coalition and Clemson University Undergraduate Student Government are teaming up against drinking and driving and encouraging students to “Think Ahead” with a new campaign to raise awareness of transportation options in downtown Clemson.

The campaign will kick off Thursday, April 16, as students will pass out information cards in downtown Clemson from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. The wallet-sized cards will have information on safe transportation options, including Clemson Area Transit and two local cab companies – Rochester Cab and YellowCab. The cards have information on bus routes, cab fares and contact information. The cards also have information on the importance of designating a driver, encouraging students to think ahead when planning a night out.

“This campaign will allow all students and community members the ability to effectively use all the resources that Clemson has to offer and ensure that students know that there is always an alternative to drinking and driving,” said Michael Lussier, a sophomore from Summerville majoring in civil engineering and chair of EMpower Clemson’s student advisory board.

Reducing drunk driving is just one piece of the puzzle to making Clemson a safer place, said EMpower Clemson director Kathy Cauthen.

“Think Ahead will go hand-in-hand with our continued efforts to curb underage drinking, educate students about making low-risk choices and offer alternative events,” Cauthen said.

The idea from the campaign came out of a student-led community needs assessment conducted last year by the Clemson Community Coalition. The assessment gave an overall picture of the alcohol and safety-related needs of students living off campus as well as community residents. Transportation was highlighted in the assessment as a major area of need in the community, especially in the downtown Clemson area.

“After Thursday night, we hope to continue this program,” said J.T. Clark, outgoing student body vice president and a senior landscape architecture major from Florence. “Mainly, we want to improve all forms of alternative transportation in order to give students the best chance at having fun and being safe. We will keep students informed of improvements to the current transportation and promote their use throughout the year.”