Juan Villa / The Collegian
Homecoming week is prime time for Fresno State party-goers.
This fact is what convinced this year̢۪s student wellness ambassadors to combine forces with University Student Union productions and numerous other groups on campus and create alcohol education events at Thursday̢۪s event, the Wicked Wellness Carnival.
“This event is not meant to be anti-alcohol, but it is meant to show students the effects of drinking and how to party responsibly,â€Â Wellness Coordinator Kathy Yarmo said.
The event also emphasized the positive — most students at Fresno State are careful when attending parties where alcoholic beverages are present.
Creative posters designed by students with statistics like “7 out of 10 Fresno State students have 0-3 drinks when partyingâ€Â and “8 out of 10 students eat before consuming alcohol or duringâ€Â decorated the booths. Many huddled around waiting to receive airbrushed tattoos, face paintings, free food and T-shirts.
Shaun Ho / The Collegian
Some interactive activities at the carnival were geared specifically toward informing students about negative effects of excessive alcohol use, while other events were centered on homecoming.
The famous drunk goggles appeared as a twist on an inflated obstacle course.
“There are three different goggles here each representing a different blood alcohol level and using these goggles allow individuals to experience the effects of alcohol in a safe setting,â€Â said Amy Armstrong, university police public information officer.
“I’ve never been drunk before and if the goggles are any indication of what it’s like to be drunk then I don’t want to be,â€Â freshman Cody Madsen said about the goggles and obstacle course he participated in. “It may be fun in this environment, but it wouldn’t be fun in a real life situation.â€Â
Another activity, human bowling, also used the drunken eye-wear. Vang Lee, a sophomore nursing major, decided to try being the human bowling ball; he was strapped in a large metal ball and rolled around. He said the experience “made [him] feel bizarre and dizzy.â€Â
The student-run event took a lot of time to plan and required the help of many student organizations.
“There are maybe ten wellness ambassadors at most and we couldn’t do this all ourselves, but Social Norms, USU productions, Student Health Science Association and many other student organizations came together and wanted to help us throw the event,â€Â said Mary-Cruz Rivera, a student wellness ambassador and member of the Student Health Science Association.
All of the activities were meant to give students valuable information about partying safely, while pumping them up for the upcoming homecoming game.