‘Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll’ urges safety

IU plans to get an early start promoting campus and personal safety this year with its second-annual “Aftertaste: Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll” awareness event.  

The event will highlight the dangers of binge drinking, drunk driving and sexual assault.  “We want to get the risk factors out there early,” said Ann Skirvin, co-chairwoman and sexual assault counselor at the Sexual Assault Crisis Center.

It is from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Dunn Meadow, during the Taste of the Union.

“The beginning of the year is important because classes haven’t started yet and students have free time to get involved with high-risk activities.”

The Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council are teaming up with the IU
Health Center, the IU Police Department, the Sexual Assault Crisis Center and 12 other campus organizations to sponsor this event.

This year, sponsors hope to dramatically increase attendance.

“The Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council were asked to help sponsor the event to make it more appealing and more student-oriented,” said Alyssa Heggen, vice president of personal development for the Panhellenic Association. “One of the ways we are doing this is by bringing the Buzz Kills.”

The Buzz Kills will perform live music during the event. Skirvin added that there will also be food, prizes and interactive games.

For example, IUPD will put on a golf-cart obstacle course where drivers must wear fatal-vision goggles to mimic inebriation.

Heggen explained that each student organization will have a board educating students on safe social practices.

“The Panhellenic Association’s display is called ‘Bloomington After Dark,’” Heggen said. “Our board will talk about different, dangerous things to look out for at parties such as ‘jungle juice.’”

All students are encouraged to attend this event, but the sponsors hope to attract many freshmen, who might not know all of the risks associated with alcohol abuse.  

“Freshmen can be naive and very unaware when it comes to sex and drinking,” Skirvin said. “We want to help them make good choices so they do not experience something that makes their first college experience even harder.”

Above all, the event’s focus is the well-being and safety of IU students.

“Safety is something that we are all passionate about,” Heggen said. “We want to educate people and we want to make it fun before they learn it the hard way.”