Event provides spring break tips to Trine students

As Trine University students prepared to leave for sun and fun over spring break, the university’s fraternities and sororities collaborated with local organizations to provide tips for enjoying the break safely.

About 200 students attended “Trine’s Declassified Spring Break Survival Guide” on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in Fabiani Theatre. Detective First Sergeant Mike Meeks from the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department discussed the legalities of alcohol use and what students need to avoid when drinking, and Tammi McCoy, anatomy instructor and physician’s assistant at Cameron Memorial Community Hospital, spoke about the importance of knowing the effects consuming alcohol has on the body, including negative impacts on decision making.

“Alcohol abuse is something that is a big issue on college campuses today,” said Trine student Cody Reer, who helped coordinate the event. “During a time where alcohol use is at its peak during spring break, we wanted to help inform students about the dangers of alcohol and potential health effects that could occur during spring break trips. We had some great discussion and information from our guest speakers, and we hope that we made an impact on the students who attended the event.”

A panel of Trine students also shared tips on topics such as sunscreen use, peak sun hours in Florida and using the buddy system. Trine University’s Student Government sponsored the event and provided door prizes of two $25 Uber gift cards and three “survival kits” including sunscreen, snacks, sports drinks, water and a cooler.

“It was great to see students from different Greek chapters on campus come together to plan an event about a topic that was important to them,” said Alex Rossmann, director of student leadership at Trine. “Holding the event before Spring Break and bringing in subject matter experts as guest speakers was intentional. The students planning the event wanted to do their part in keeping everyone safe and supplied with necessary knowledge around alcohol before heading off to spring break destinations. I am proud of the committee for the work they put into making this event successful!”

Top photo: Kinzey Hickman, left, and Cody Reer served as emcees and coordinators for “Trine’s Declassified Spring Break Survival Guide,” a program to help students enjoy spring break safely.