By Kelsie Smithson
Free food and drinks, dancing, and raised awareness of the dangers of alcohol were all integral parts of this year’s eat, drink, & be merry week at the University of Louisville. The week opened on Monday, Oct. 19, with a cookout and Courage to Speak lecture from Carolyn Cornelison. Other events for eat, drink, & be merry week included an Alcohol Awareness Info & Resource Fair, a viewing and discussion of the documentary Haze, and Breaking Bread: A Progressive Dinner, designed to bring students together.
The progressive dinner, on Thursday, Oct. 22, was the first of several events that night. Students, staff and faculty were encouraged to visit the Cultural Center, the PEACC office, the Intersection in the Red Bard, and Ekstrom Library. These sites offered catered appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, a main course and dessert. The purpose of the progressive dinner was to provide exposure for the many campus resources that are available to students.
“We can make this campus more inclusive and more community-focused,” said Jordana Peacock, with the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research, who oversaw the dessert table set up in the library.
The next event of the night was Cooking with Class, in the Student Activities Center. This was the second of three installments of an instructional cooking presentation held on campus. Students were able to learn how to cook healthy meals, while simultaneously eating what was being prepared.
The final event on Oct. 22 was the Superhero/Supervillian Ballroom Dance in the Red Barn. This provided an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to pair up with experienced dancers and learn from them. The event was sponsored by Dancing with the Cards.
Eat, drink, & be merry week allowed the campus community to come together and learn about how to incorporate healthy ways to eat, drink and have a good time. Karen Newton, director of health promotion and education, was in charge of organizing the events of the week.
“You can indeed have a wonderful time with good food and friends; and alcohol may or may not be a part of the occasion,” said Newton.
While the idea of a week full of free food on campus seems as if it would attract many students to the events, this was not the case. Many of the students that were involved were those directly linked to the sponsoring organizations, and showed up either out of support, or because attendance was a mandatory requirement. The truth of the matter is clear.
“It’s hard to get students to willingly come out and just learn about alcohol,” said Newton. “It’s tough to make it interesting.”
Even with this, there are students who appreciate the efforts of Campus Health Services and the many other organizations involved.
“I think it’s good to have a positive influence on Oktoberfest,” said Forrest Williams, a freshman mechanical engineering major. Williams attended Cooking with Class and plans to attend OktSOBERfest, the final event of eat, drink, & be merry week on Oct. 27 at the Red Barn.
