New Resources Available to Students
Along with stricter policies involving the usage of alcohol on campus, the university also offers a wide array of resources for those students who are potentially struggling with alcohol usage. This is a very different situation than the one faced by students in previous decades at the school where personal accountability seemed to be the only step taken by the college to keep students safe. Those who were enrolled at the college during the early 1990s such as Pearse Tormey [1989 – 1993] recall that there seemed to be a complete absence of alcohol education provided by the school. Currently at Clemson there are numerous services offered to those enrolled at the university such as Alcohol Education Programs that are required for those freshman who must take the course CU1000. Along with these educational online programs required by the university there are provisions in place for those students who are caught misusing alcohol. The program called Aspire to Be Well was created so that students caught misusing alcohol have a resource to better educate them on alcohol safety as a part of their punishment by the university.
Another resource implemented by the university to better educate their students on proper alcohol usage are the numerous flyers and posters related to the issue that can be found all across campus. There are posters mounted on poster boards in every hall on campus that contain messages such as “Consent means a sincere and sober yes” and “Get home safely” .While some mirrors located on campus have messages adhered to them with sayings such as, “You are looking at the person responsible for your safety”. Each of these messages located on campus are put there as daily reminders to students that when you choose to use alcohol, it is up to you to make proper decisions that will reflect positively on yourself and the university as a whole.
The resources currently made available to Clemson students are not limited to those created by the university. Student-led organizations are also prominent on campus such as the Water Drop organization, a program created in 2012 in order to provide water bottles to students attending events that will have alcohol present.[i] The vision shared by those students who initially created Water Drop and those who run it now is for providing water at parties to become commonplace in the near future. This service is evidence that while students at Clemson still enjoy heavy drinking just as students in the decades before them have, there is now an emphasis placed on the safety and security of those who attend alcohol-related events and may not choose to partake. Organizations such as Water Drop also take the necessary steps to ensure that the personal information gathered from students who use the service by making it so this information cannot be accessed by faculty members at the university.
The most recent resource adopted by the university is the implementation of “angel shots” at each bar and restaurant located in downtown Clemson. As of October 11th, 2019 all bars and restaurants in downtown Clemson will offer these shots as a way for women and men feeling uncomfortable to make employees aware of their situation.[ii] When a customer orders and angel shot they are delivering a coded message to their bartender in a way that does not arouse any suspicion. Signs are posted in women’s restrooms encouraging anyone to ask for the shot if they are made to feel uncomfortable or in danger by anyone at the establishment. This program is sponsored by the Raise the Bar Project in collaboration with Clemson Police and Clemson University. This added step to make students feel safe is a big win for the university as it shows their commitment to changing the attitudes of students when they drink. This and many other new resources provided to students is something that would have never been considered in decades past, this shows a clear change in attitude from both the college and its student body.
[i] “Water Drop at Clemson University”
[ii] “Clemson Bars Say ‘Angel Shots’ Can Help Keep Women Safe”