UTSA receives alcohol abuse prevention award at national conference

UTSA student organization Be A Responsible Roadrunner wins national award recognizing creative programming

By Omar Hernandez
Public Affairs Specialist

(Dec. 6, 2010)--UTSA students representing the student organization Be A Responsible Roadrunner (BARR) recently attended the BACCHUS Network General Assembly where UTSA received the Outstanding Alcohol Abuse Prevention Award for the event Party on the Paseo. The national award recognizes creative programming.

The BACCHUS Network General Assembly provides students and professionals the opportunity to gain new ideas and strategies for their programming and awareness events. This year, more than 640 students and advisers represented more than 135 campuses across the nation.

Students from UTSA attended a variety of sessions throughout the conference where they learned about alcohol education and prevention from other campuses. They met each evening to summarize and share what they learned each day and discuss how it applies to BARR and how they can advance the organization and programs.

BARR also entered the School Exhibit Competition for which they decorated a table utilizing the conference theme and providing information about what they do on campus. Many assembly participants were amazed by the design of the table and the programming efforts at UTSA. BARR received second place in the competition in which nine organizations competed.

BARR is a student organization dedicated to purposeful, diverse and educational programming on alcohol and drugs. The group support the rights of all students to make their own choices regarding behaviors that affect their health, and encourages students to educate themselves about the issues and to consider a wide range of healthier behaviors that reduce or eliminate the risk of negative outcomes.

The BACCHUS Network is a university- and community-based network focusing on comprehensive health and safety initiatives. The BACCHUS philosophy is that students can play a uniquely effective role -- unmatched by professional educators -- in encouraging their peers to consider, talk honestly about, and develop responsible habits and attitudes toward high-risk health and safety issues.

To learn more about BARR and becoming a consultant, visit www.utsa.edu/sa/barr.