Binge Drinking

Student reveals personal struggles with binge drinking and OUPD comments on substance abuse.
VIDEO: Pearson and Brumley RUNTIME: 2:31



Binge drinking is a common activity on college campuses around the nation. According to the programs website, “The University of Oklahoma’s Comprehensive Alcohol Program strives to encourage student achievement in their educational and career goals by promoting smart decisions, healthy lives, and a campus culture of care.”
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism[1], binge drinking is defined when a person’s blood alcohol content (BAC) reaches 0.08 grams or higher. This usually happens after drinking five plus drinks for men and four drinks for women in two hours or less.
The largest percentage of binge drinkers in the Unites States occurs within the ages of 18-20.
Binge drinking has both immediate and long-term consequences on the body and mind of participants.
Immediate effects of binge drinking include impaired judgment, possible alcohol poisoning, and a high risk of unplanned sexual activity. Long-term effects of binge drinking include a lack of self-motivation, brain and liver damage.
University of Oklahoma Sergeant Tim Tucker defines binge drinking as reaching a level of alcohol consumption where the student can no longer control his or her actions. Examples of such behavior are passing out in public locations, causing disruption in public, or exemplifying harmful behavior to oneself or others.
Though he claims that binge drinking is and will continue to be a problem with college students, Tucker says that violence from drinking has decreased immensely since his start in the force in the 1980’s.
The University of Oklahoma implements programs and counseling services that are available to students at all times.
An online program, Alcohol.ou.edu[2], is mandatory for all undergraduate students twenty-two years and younger to complete. The program educates the students on the effects of alcohol on the mind and body, the OU policy regarding alcohol and ways to prevent alcohol use.
The University is a dry campus, meaning that all forms of alcohol are prohibited on university grounds regardless of age or intentions to drink it elsewhere.
Executive Director of Health Sciences Center Student Affairs, Kate Stanton, explains that the university is aware that students consume alcohol, which is why the university implemented the numerous programs.
The University will continue to educate students on alcohol abuse in attempt to keep consumption at a minimum.

             

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[1] http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm

[2] http://healthysooners.ou.edu/programs/programs.php

Jeanine L'Ecuyer

Jeanine L'Ecuyer came to the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Media to talk to some of the journalism students about her experience in Arizona during a prison scandal.
January 18, 2004 two male prisoners escaped to a prison tower with two hostages. While making their escape, the prisoners injured two other prison guards that received medical treatment.
Jeanine L'Ecuyer had been working as a spokeswoman for Governor Napolitano at the time. Given the circumstances of the event, it is safe to say that she was thrown into the lions den. Luckily, her history as a journalist helped her control the situation.
The government gave the media and viewers very little information about the prisoners and hostages. Names were not even provided until each hostage was released.
The hostages were Lois Fraley, a female prison guard, and another male prison guard. The male, Jason, was released before Lois. However, while being held hostage he was hit in the head with a shovel. When released from the tower Jason was immediately sent to the hospital for treatment. However, due to the severity of the injury, Jason became fully disabled.
Lois, on the other hand was held hostage for the entire 14 days. During the time, Lois was raped several times by both men, only having them stop after lying to them about having a bladder infection. She was also starved and physically injured. In the mean time, the two prisoners were being treated to pizza, cigarettes and anything else that the government and prison officials could trade for information or possible release of Lois Fraley.
While in the tower, the only form of communication or information the prisoners and Lois had was a radio. Lois said the radio was in fact the one that kept her fighting through all the physically, sexual and emotional trauma she was going through. She knew, because of the radio, that people were in fact praying for her and doing what they could to free her from the tower.
After 14 days, Lois was finally released and the prisoners were captured. Lois received medical treatment and counseling. The prisoners were sentenced to more life sentencing and were relocated to prisons closer to their families.
Jeanine L"Ecuyer explained that the media did everything they could to get information out of the government and prison officials. However, they were not budging. There were a few leaks, like the name of the hostages. However, they did not say the names on air after being asked by the government to refrain from giving names on t.v. Because of this, people at home did not know much detailed information about the prisoners and hostages. Today, however, with the popular use of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets, information would spread more rapidly and it would be harder to keep information under wraps after it was leaked and published online.
L'Cuyer made it a major effort to point out the importance of social media networks and the major role they play in news today.

pictures provided by Aubree Pearson

The OU Wire goes potluck

A Gaylord student advances her career by assisting in a video production in hopes to compete in the Sundance Film Festival this September.
The production consists of around 35 students who are mainly Film and Video Studies and Broadcast and Electronic Media majors. Given only a small budget to begin production, the students will be having fundraisers throughout filming, in hopes to raise $2400.
The film, "Potluck", is about a young man from Harvard named Simon who gets sent to OU with little money after getting in trouble at home. Simon finds himself in unfortunate circumstances once at the university and with the help of his roommate attempts to dig himself out.
Stephanie Townes, Sophomore, is a co-producer of the film and has high hopes that it will succeed at Sundance.
"Besides working with the OU Wire, I have not been extremely involved with my major, so when this opportunity came to me I was excited and nervous to jump on board," says Townes.
The film will be in production the remainder of the school year and must be finished and submitted to the festival by September.

Picture provided by Stephanie Townes

Big Event

The University of Oklahoma hosted its annual Big Event community service project this Saturday. For the event, various student organizations were put into teams and placed at different locations to serve. The locations of the students consisted of renovating and painting houses in neighborhoods for the less fortunate, helping at retirement centers, and other forms of community service.
Volunteer, sophomore Ella Thompson, helped paint a house in Norman for an elderly woman who could not afford to renovate her house herself.
"It was great being able to come together with my fellow students at OU and having the opportunity to help out in our community," Thompson said.
The university puts much time and effort into the preporation for the event and continues to have successful results.
Big Event team leader Kenzie Kirk explained the preparations for the event and why exactly it is important for OU to continue hosting Big Event year after year.
"The Norman community relies on the university students to host Big Event every year and it is important to keep students interested and excited in participating while attending OU," Kirk said.
Kirk claimed that the goal of Big Event is to make a difference and help out in the Norman community with the help of as many students as possible.
Big Event is a nonprofit community service project that has been successful for years and will hopefully continue for years to come.

Allee Baldwim Interview: Midterm

Allee Bladwin, Junior psychology major is unique because with her hectic schedule, she finds time to participate in several community service programs. The community service programs Allee is most heavily involved with are: Norman big brother/big sister program, St. Jude's Up 'til Dawn and working with the Norman animal shelter. Allee enjoys working in community service because she is thankful for the life she has been blessed with and wants to bring happiness to others as well. Allee will continue to participate in community service programs through the remainder of college and throughout her adult life.








VIDEO: Blake Brumley, Runs(1:40)

University of Oklahoma Camp Crimson

Camp Crimson is an annual event put on by the University of Oklahoma for incoming freshman.
Lasting three days and two nights, the camp is designed to help future students meet with their peers and learn how to succeed at OU. The camp will have three sessions throughout the summer and costs $225. The camp includes room and board, meals, OU t-shirts, and other handouts and prizes.
Lindsey Waldrop,sophomore HES major, applied to be a Camp Crimson counselor for the upcoming summer and explained how beneficial attending the camp was for her when she attented as a camper.
"Camp Crimson was a great way for me to meet friends and made me feel like OU was my new home," said Waldrop, "I defintely felt prepared to come to OU."
Allowing the students to stay in dorm rooms, the camp is set up to give campers a real life college experience, before actually attending school. Learning the universities history and traditions is also a major part of the Camp Crimson experience.
"The goal is to make each camper feel as connected to the university as possible," said Waldrop.
Before attending camp herself, Waldrop explained that she did not know much about the schools tradtions besides the long standing rivalry with the University of Texas in Austin. After attending, however, she claims that she was filled with Sooner spirit and knowledge.
To register for the camp go to www.ou.edu/campcrimson.

Photo provided by Lindsey Waldrop

Photo Provided by Lindsey Waldrop

Getting Involved: Ambassador Programs and Sorority Life

It is not hard to notice that the University of Oklahoma is very greek life oriented. With over 20 sororities and fraternities, there is room for anyone and everyone interested in finding their greek home. This week I visited the Gamma Phi Beta soroity house. The house was hosting an event for the clothing brand BCBGeneration, so it was a perfect time to visit.
Member of the sorority and ambassador of the clothing brand, sophomore Sogoal Davini is an advocate for both programs.
"Getting involved in greek life here really made OU feel like home. As I am a student ambassador for the brand, it is awesome to know that I have the support of all my Gamma Phi sister," said Davini.
Davini claims that though going through recruitment may be mentally tiring and difficult, however, she said it is definitely worth it in the end. Davini definitely recommends any and all OU students to at least think about the idea of rushing a house. She claims that it is a great way to meet friends, make connections, and become involved in many on and off campus philanthropy events.
"One of the reasons I think I got my ambassador job here was because I am in a sorority," said Davini. "Even being able to write down that I am a member of a house, my employer knew that I could reach out to aton of people on my campus, because greek life is so big.
When moving to OU, Davini was skeptical about going through formal recruitment.
"I was so nervous that I would not find a house that would be suitable for me or accept me," she said.
However, Davini did in fact find her home in the greek community and has not looked back since. She claims that had she not rushed, her time spent at OU would definitely not be the same.
"Getting involved in programs such as my ambassador program for BCBG and my sorority helps me grow and learn things about myself everyday, and in that growth I have a house full of sisters standing right beside me," said Davini.