Fraternity hosts alcohol workshop

But last night, roughly 18 Princeton students — all Sigma Chi members — gathered for an alcohol education event known as the CHOICES program, which aims to educate students about the risks associated with excessive alcohol use through group discussions and self-reflection.

Funded by a donation from Rob Reifschneider, a San Diego State University and Sigma Chi alumnus, the program is based on 20 years of research led by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

The fraternity’s president, Roby Sobieski ’10, invited members of other Greek organizations to participate, but none attended the event.

The event’s organizer, former Sigma Chi risk manager Anthony Cheng ’10, said that the fraternity was also unsuccessful in gaining approval to host the event in a University building.

In the e-mail inviting other Greek organizations to participate, Sobieski said that “such joint events could be a good first step towards one day getting fraternities and sororities recognized at Princeton and establishing an inter-Greek council and all the good things that could bring about.”

The University’s chapter, which is currently a “colony” of the national organization, held the workshop as part of its effort to become an official chapter later this year, he said.

Rob Papandrea, an alumnus of Sigma Chi who graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2000, facilitated the discussion. He said he has led roughly 12 such workshops at Sigma Chi chapters across the country.

The atmosphere was laidback and informal, with participants sharing stories and cracking jokes about experiences with alcohol.

“The main reason I’m willing to do this workshop is because I myself believe in it and promote it,” Papandrea said. “This is a very open workshop. No one is here to slap you on the wrist.”

He said that the CHOICES program is more realistic than those that discourage all drinking.

“We try to reduce harm rather than say you can never touch [alcohol],” Papandrea said. “If you try telling a group of kids in college you should never do drugs or drink alcohol, you’re not educating them at all.”

Alex Cooksey ’12 said he appreciated the approach.

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“College kids are going to do what they’re going to do, and drinking goes along with the scene,” he explained. “But I think if you get everyone together consciously talking openly about it, it can be brought up as something not so problematic, just a conscious reminder so that it doesn’t become a problem in the future.”

Papandrea said that it is difficult to gauge the workshop’s effectiveness, but that he received “follow-up e-mails and feel-good stories from people saying that they can see the difference.”

Sobieski noted that Sigma Chi risk management officers discourage binge drinking.

“I feel like we’re already doing a pretty good job with our risk management,” Cooksey said. “Even if drinking is not a problem, it reminds people of the support systems we can give each other.”

Cheng said the event “was a productive experience that conveyed a lot of insightful personal experiences and anecdotes.”

Michael Chou ’10, another Sigma Chi member, noted that the program was beneficial in light of the fact that alcohol education at the University drops off after freshman year. “It’s nice to have a dialogue with some of the people you party with and drink with on Saturdays,” he said.

Cooksey said he believes the event can also help dispel certain stereotypes associated with Greek organizations. “Fraternities often have a stigma like high-risk drinking, but this program proves it doesn’t have to be like that,” he noted.