By Steven Viera || Senior Editor
Dan Porterfield, president of the College, addressed the student body by email last week to bring awareness to safe socializing initiatives by .08, a campus organization that aims to promote responsible drinking, provide alcohol education, and host non-alcoholic events on campus. In his message, Porterfield communicated .08’s new mission, values, goals, and priorities.
“Across higher education, [safe socializing] is a critical need, as studies show that dangerous drinking and drug use are factors in the vast majority of college student injuries, assaults, arrests, and deaths,” he wrote. “The .08 leadership team reported to me the outcomes of the group’s work to define and renew its mission, vision, values, goals, and strategic priorities. I was extremely impressed with their collective strategic work.”
According to Porterfield, the new mission of the organization is to empower students to make the right decisions in the presence of alcohol and its vision is for F&M to be a leader in using education to promote safety with drinking; additionally, its new values are peer leadership, safety, community, and collaboration, and it aims to empower students to educate each other, care for each other, and intervene in potentially dangerous or unsafe situations.
To realize its goals, Porterfield noted, .08 hopes to achieve full campus representation at its meetings by recruiting ambassadors from fraternities and sororities, athletic teams, cultural clubs, etc., to increase outreach by creating handouts, sponsoring a Common Hour, and forming partnerships with other groups to encourage bystander intervention at F&M, as well as promoting all-campus engagement with .08 and its mission by expanding programming, such as its annual Dodgeball Tournament and National Gordie Day.
“This is outstanding planning by .08—and it’s an example of how student leadership can enhance campus culture while creating growth that may be of great value later in life, both personally and professionally,” Porterfield said.
He went on to thank members of .08’s Executive Board for their efforts, including Maddie van Elslander ’17, the new president, as well as Caroline Doran ’16, Tamara Mills ’16, Michael Whalen ’17, and Jan Masland, Title IX coordinator for the College and faculty advisor for .08.
“I encourage interested students to reach out to the .08 Executive Board about participation or partnership— and to help promote a healthful and fulfilling campus community for all,”
Porterfield said.
Senior Steven Viera is the Senior Editor. His email is sviera@fandm.edu.