Group plans alcohol-free UK welcome

Hopes to break deadly pattern of recent freshmen activities

Every August, thousands of freshmen descend upon the University of Kentucky campus for Kentucky Welcome Week, a time for them to learn about the college and its offerings. But for the past two years, the week has proved deadly.

In 2004, Brian Muth was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on New Circle Road after being bailed out of Fayette County jail on alcohol intoxication charges. Last year, Thomas Byers was hit by a train after he ran from police who were trying to cite him for alcohol-related charges at an early morning party.

This year, a UK group is trying to change that pattern, in part by hosting an alcohol-free party during Kentucky Welcome Week.

Genesis, part of a national pilot program focused on changing the alcohol culture on college campuses, is educating students about the dangers of alcohol abuse and offering alcohol-free events for students, including the one to be held during Kentucky Welcome Week in August.

Genesis was started by a coalition of 42 national and international fraternities and sororities. A pilot program similar to UK's is being implemented at DePauw University in Indiana.

"They gathered some of the best practices that were going on around the country, looked at research, and came up with what they thought was a program for change," said Susan West, assistant dean of students and director of fraternity and sorority affairs at UK.

Underage and binge drinking are not unique to UK. A study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism shows about 1,400 college students die of alcohol-related injuries each year. Alcohol is also involved in 600,000 assaults and 70,000 cases of sexual assault and acquaintance rape each year, according to the institute.

Genesis students began working with UK faculty and staff in the spring of 2005 to come up with strategies for curbing high-risk drinking.

"The main thing that they narrowed in on was trying to replace activities, the drinking patterns, with alternative activities, and to provide more social outlets for students," West said.

The group hosted two alcohol-free parties during the previous school year -- one during the NCAA March Madness tournament that drew 500 people, and another at a UK baseball tailgate that drew about 900.

"We want to provide an alternative event for students to go to that doesn't have the negative, uncool image," Marcum said.

This year, the group has planned eight events.

The first, to be held during welcome week, has been dubbed Taste of Lexington and will include food from local vendors.

The group also hopes to hold a Battle of the Bands featuring local musicians and bands. Marcum said the event is expected to draw at least 1,000 students.

Michael Muth, the father of Brian Muth, who was killed in 2004, got involved with Genesis a few weeks after his son's death.

The alcohol-free parties are a step in the right direction, Muth said, but the university needs to do more to prevent another tragic death from occurring.

Three changes that Muth wants to see occur are the move of sorority and fraternity rush to the spring semester, the first day of classes changed from Wednesday to Monday, and the creation of a remembrance week for his son and Tom Byers.

Muth said President Lee Todd and others at the university have been agreeable to his ideas, but reluctant to actually put them into action.

"They think I'm going to go away, but I'm not," Muth said. "If I can't bring Brian back then I'm going to stay with it."

Some UK students had mixed feelings about the alcohol-free party.

Mary Richie, a rising senior, plans to attend, but she expects the event to draw mostly freshmen and those living on campus.

"People don't usually come in from off campus for on-campus things," she said.

The event will give freshmen a good opportunity to see that college isn't all about drinking and alcohol, Richie said.

Another senior, Chris Payne, said he doesn't plan to go and doesn't think most of his friends will attend either.

"We're older and I definitely wouldn't see any of us going," Payne said. "I wouldn't expect a huge turnout."

Looking back at his freshman year, Payne said he and his friends skipped out on most of the welcome week activities.

Lexington Herald-Leader