Fake posters spoof coalition's campaign against binge drinking on campus

University faculty members may have laughed at themselves when fliers parodying the recent Campus Alcohol Coalition poster campaign popped up on lampposts and in dormitory entryways earlier this week.

The new posters, printed in monochrome and left unsigned, poke unabashed fun at the coalition's serious advertisements.

Where the original poster depicted a grisly stomach pump with the cautionary message "You don't want to know what this is," the new poster encourages students to fear an Organic Chemistry textbook. "Studying:" the boldfaced caption reads, "don't let it happen to you."

Another parodies the Coalition's use of statistical facts about students missing class to garner attention, suggesting that an eyebrow raising "92.4702 percent of all Princeton students report not being able to consume alcohol because they didn't want to miss class."

For the most part, officials within the coalition said they took the appearance of these posters as a positive sign that their message is being received.

Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson, who serves as the coalition's administrative liaison, said she has not yet seen the new posters, but is not concerned by initial accounts.

"I think [the new posters] show that certain people are paying attention," she explained. "Any time you are in an intellectual community like Princeton, this kind of response is to be expected."

Gina Baral, who serves as the coalition's representative from McCosh Health Center, had a similarly good-natured reaction.

"I think they're great. Actually, we all think they're pretty hilarious," she said.

Director of Communications Lauren Robinson-Brown '85, who oversees the placement of University-endorsed advertisements, said she feels this kind of reaction is an encouraging sign that the coalition has succeeded in relaying its message. Students are often unaware of the consequences of drinking, she added.

"I was warned that students might mock the posters," she said. "However, [the coalition's] main goal is to create dialogue, and this is a positive sign that is happening. I am still confident that the relevant issues are being taken seriously."

USG President Nina Langsam '03, who has also been involved in the coalition's campaign, said though she would prefer that students look at the original posters as sober reminders, she is "glad that people are taking notice."

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As for who is behind the tongue-in-cheek parodies, Langsam, among others, was inclined to point a finger at Tiger Magazine, which arranges an annual campus prank. But no evidence has emerged to corroborate the theory.

Tiger Magazine representatives could not be reached, and with few remaining suspects, the question of who is responsible may not be answered any time soon.