Alcohol program honors memory of late student

As some students await and anticipate the excitement of the next few days of Little 500, members of Sigma Pi and Zeta Tau Alpha are attempting to warn students of the dangers of heavy partying and binge drinking.\nOn Monday, the first day of Little 500 week, the two greek organizations gave out alcohol-awareness cards to students passing by the Arboretum and at a few other places around campus.\n“We think it is the perfect time to do our philanthropy project,” Sigma Pi Treasurer Shane Bohbrink said. “It’s important that students, especially freshman who are fairly new to campus and Little 500 activities, understand the dangers involved with drinking.”\nSigma Pi was able to hand out more than 4,000 cards around campus on Monday. Each card gives instructions on what to do in case of an alcohol-related accident, along with a fraternity Web site, Bohbrink said.\nThe card, marked by a large ace of spades, is a part of a national awareness program. \nThe cards are in memory of late Sam Spady, a female student who died of alcohol poisoning in 2004 inside the Sigma Pi house at the Colorado State University chapter. To honor Spady’s memory, her parents set up the Sam Spady Foundation, which focuses primarily on finding an effective alcohol-education program and highlighting the risks of high-alcohol consumption and binge drinking.\nSigma Pi partners with the foundation, pledging to educate undergraduate students on college campuses and to advocate safety, according to a press release from the fraternity.\nThroughout the week, the television program “Death by Alcohol: The Sam Spady Program” will be shown on IU Student Television. The show outlines the mistakes made when partying and how to remain safe when drinking, according to a press release.\nFor more information on the Sam Spady Foundation, visit the Web site www.samspadyfoundation.org.