"TYING ONE ON" will take on a new meaning at Carroll Community College this week as students, faculty and staff members commemorate National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week with a variety of activities.
The week, sponsored by BACCHUS groups at schools across the country, is meant to help college students think before they drink or use drugs.
BACCHUS - an acronym for Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students - enlists students to help educate their peers about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Nationwide, these groups encourage students to drink responsibly and to consider nonalcoholic alternatives at parties.
Alcohol consumption at Carroll Community College "is not as much of a pervasive issue as you might see on a residential campus," said Michele Amos, the college's coordinator of student life. "But we know that it is happening with our students off campus. At the college this week, BACCHUS members will be stationed in the Great Hall handing out pamphlets and plastic cups imprinted with statistics about substance use and abuse."
Students will ask their peers, faculty and staff to "Tie One On" today by pledging not to consume alcohol for one week. Nylon bracelets will be distributed to each person who pledges to be alcohol-free for the week.
"This is not only for the students, but also for the faculty and staff to get involved and be role models for responsible behavior," Amos said.
Students will sponsor a "mocktail party" from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. tomorrow in the cafe.
Mocktails (cocktails without alcohol) will be served. dents will have the opportunity to
"Hopefully, students will pay attention as we get the educational messages out," said Amos. "They'll think about their own behavior and make responsible decisions."
Information: 410-386-8408.
Murder, mayhem and mirth
Don't miss the final chance to catch the Carroll Players Inc. fall dinner theater production of "Killjoy" at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall on Poole Road in Westminster.
According to director Tom Scanlon, the play is a romantic comedy thriller about a divorced couple who dislike each other intensely. Add an affair between the former wife and her ex-husband's lawyer and the situation quickly runs out of control.
"It's quite amusing," said Scanlon. "Although it sounds macabre, it has a positive message. The interaction between the characters is very real, very human."
Tickets are available at any Carroll Players ticket outlet, including Country Sunshine in Hampstead, and Locust Books, Dutterer's Florist, and the Treat Shop in Westminster.
Tickets for Thursday's performance are $21. The price includes a two-course meal. Tickets for Friday's and Saturday's performances - which feature a three-course meal - are $24.
Information: 410-876-2220.
Planning to help seniors
Issues facing the county's senior citizens will be discussed at a meeting sponsored by the county Commission on Aging at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Westminster Senior Center on Stoner Avenue.
Information from the meeting, scheduled to end at noon, will be shared with the Maryland Commission on Aging.
The meeting is free, but registration is requested.
Information: 410-848-4049.
