Professor of public health William Thatcher (middle) enjoys
a strategy board game during the FREAKS gaming program, which
takes place every Friday night in the University Student Union.
Johnathan Wilbanks / The Collegian

The negative effect of alcohol on student safety, health, academics and personal lives has led Dr. William Thatcher, assistant professor at the department of public health, to begin an alcohol-free, on-campus social event for Fresno State faculty and students.

Recognizing the need to improve social weekend activities at Fresno State, Thatcher has created the program FREAKS (Finding Responsible and Entertaining Activities on KampuS).

The program is intended to provide students a safe place to socialize on campus without the need for health-risk behavior such as drinking.­ The program began January of this year. The program has grown from the usual 24 attendees to an average of 34 people every Friday night at the University Student Union.

“This semester, more than 150 students, faculty, staff, their children and community members have participated in a weekend event,” Thatcher said.

Thatcher started the event in West Florida, where 100 percent of students who sporadically participated in FREAKS gaming graduated from college.­ In comparison, the general student population at Fresno State has a 51 percent graduation rate, according to KSEE News.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that 1,825 college students ages 18 to 24 died from alcohol-related unintentional injuries in 2009.

Approximately 25 percent of college students report a negative impact on their academic work due to drinking, including missing class and receiving lower grades on exams, according to the Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education.

The US Department of Transportation found that more than 19 percent of drivers age 16 to 20 who died in motor vehicle accidents in 2006 were under the influence of alcohol.

Thirty-one percent of college students met criteria to be diagnosed as alcohol abusers, according to a self-report published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol.­ Statistics such as these led to the creation of an on-campus safe haven where students could find entertainment during weekends.

The games played at each event improve critical thinking skills and emotional competence.­ According to a scientific study done by Royse and Newton in 2007, critical thinking skills help with knowledge retention and also motivate students to learn and increase problem-solving skills.

A study published in American Psychologist also shows emotional competence can be developed, unlike IQ.­ Playing board games can improve social skills, help students listen and communicate effectively, take responsibility for their actions and think creatively.

Pearson Education, an established company that specializes in assessment, book publication and training, has published an online article about FREAKS gaming due to the great success of the program.

“Students who get involved in activities are more likely to succeed. This is not specific to FREAKS,” Thatcher said.­ “Fresno State has about 200 organizations, but almost nothing on the weekends.”

The FREAKS gaming program has had 153 students in attendance this semester, with as many as 51 active participants.

Due to the success of freaks, the College of Health and Human Services and the department of public health have provided funds to ensure the continuation of the program.­ The group is now recognized by Associated Students, Inc.

Party, strategy, dexterity, kids, dice-based, card-based, sports, racing and war-based games are always available for ages starting as young as 5 years old.

These German-style board games are a broad class of tabletop games that generally have simple rules and short-to-medium playing times.­ The games emphasize strategy, downplay luck and conflict, lean toward economic rather than military themes and usually keep all the players in the game until it ends.­ German style games are sometimes contrasted with American-style games, which generally involve more luck, conflict and drama.

FREAKS participants meet every Friday night at 5 p.m. in the University Student Union and gaming lasts until midnight.

“It’s a good way to relax. My cognitive abilities didn’t really come into it, but it’s nice to have somewhere to go where drinking isn’t an issue,” Fresno State student Aaron Sorensen said.

“The games are interesting, and it’s a great way to meet new people,” Reedley student Jonathan Burnett added.