Albright Awarded Grant to Help Enforce Underage Drinking Laws Albright College was one of nine Pennsylvania colleges/universities to receive an “Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws” (EUDL) grant, in the amount of $15,720, from the Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. As part of the grant, Albright will develop a campus/community coalition including, but not limited to, students, college staff, law enforcement, local politicians and area tavern owners. This coalition will help to plan alternative, alcohol-free campus activities, as well as develop enforcement strategies, social norms within the community and public education of the negative consequences of underage drinking. Plans include the establishment of a Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Chapter on campus. Among SADD’s activities, they will present a college production called Shattered Lives and bring to campus guest speakers with first-hand knowledge of the devastation caused by alcohol. Alternative, non-alcoholic, recreational events will be a focus of the grant and will be planned with significant input from the students. A neighborhood crime watch will also be implemented to target alcohol violations around campus. “It's not that we have a worse problem than any other college or university. We're just willing to deal with it.” Robert Gerken, Director of Safety & Security Michelle Daniels, Ed.D., vice president of student affairs and dean of students, said Albright has been working with the Higher Education Counsel of Berks County for a while, trying to seek out ways to deal with substance abuse on college campuses. “Research tells us that students aren’t into hearing about the risks and dangers of substance abuse because they already know them. But they are interested in alternate activities,” Daniels said. Robert Gerken, director of safety and security, said, “Our motivation for applying for the grant was a series of incidents on campus that directly related to alcohol. It’s not that we have a worse problem than any other college or university. We’re just willing to deal with it. It’s a proactive measure we’re taking to ensure that we have a safe community here.” The EUDL Grant was established by Congress in 1998 when they set aside $50 million to be used to combat underage drinking in the United States. Twenty-five million dollars was appropriated for use in a series of block grants of which the Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (PSP/BLCE), via the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, was awarded $360,000. Each year since that time, the PSP/BLCE has chosen one school from within each of the nine District Enforcement Offices in the state to receive the grant money. |
Mexican Consul Visits
Albright:
Previewing Mexico Illuminated/ Iluminado, a large art exhibition currently on display at the Freedman Gallery, Freedman Annex and seven other Berks County venues, Zavala spoke about the importance of art in cultural understanding and said the exhibition could lead to a new acceptance of the growing Mexican community in Reading. “It will not only give Reading residents a better understanding of Mexico, but it will also let Mexicans feel proud of their role in the Reading community,” he said. Zavala, a former press secretary
to Mexican president Vicente Fox, also
discussed Mexican-United States relations, which have been strained
since |
The Honorable Juan I. Zavala, Mexican consul in Philadelphia, spoke
at a dinner to honor the trustees and foundation boards of the five
Berks County institutions. The dinner, held by the Higher Education
Council of Berks County, was hosted by Albright College in September.