Perkins teamed with David Craig, professor of chemistry, to attempt to educate students about the realities that surround them. About three years ago they initiated, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, an alcohol education program aimed at reducing the misperceptions that abound. They undertook an aggressive campaign on campus, providing to students the information garnered in the surveys and offering the truth about alcohol consumption patterns. The professors use classes, workshops with faculty and with the athletics departments, campus lectures, and sophisticated print and electronic media to get their message across. A real dialogue happens.
Students think and talk about the issue.
The HWS Alcohol Education Program recently received another very competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Education. One of only seven schools in the nation, and the only small liberal arts school on the list, HWS received funding to further its research. Perkins and Craig are quick to point out that over-consumption of alcohol and abuse of other substances are still real concerns, at the Colleges and elsewhere. Here, and at other colleges where this education model has been adopted, dramatic reductions have been confirmed. This article originally appeared in the Winter '00 issue of The Pulteney St. Survey.