The Red Watch Band movement is catching on across the nation
Are you starting to notice that a lot of kids around campus are wearing the same red watch band?
The athlete out on the field has that red watch band on. The cheerleader doing the split has that red watch band on. The cute guy working in the bookstore who winked at you the other day has that red watch band on. The brainy and beautiful girl from biology class has that red watch band on. Your best friend and the person you’re dating have that red watch band on.
Why are they all wearing the same red watch band? Where can I get that red watch band, too?
Those are really easy questions to answer.
Continue reading The Red Watch Band Movement →
Dr. Suzanne Fields
When a personal tragedy can be turned into the inspiration for a positive for the greater good it’s an amazing achievement. That’s exactly how the exceptionally important Red Watch Band movement was born.
In June 2008, Dr. Suzanne Fields, a physician with a geriatric specialty and professor at Stony Brook University Medical School, received the most distressing news a parent could hear—her beloved son had passed away. Matthew, a bright teen with a bright future, was finishing his freshman year at Northwestern University. His first year at school was nearly over when one night he drank too much and died of alcohol toxicity.
When then Stony Brook University President Shirley Strum Kenny heard the sad news, she approached Dr. Fields with the idea of finding a silver lining to the misfortune of Matthew’s death. The concept of the Red Watch Band movement was born, a program designed as an educational awareness tool about toxic drinking with the essential aims of prevention and intervention when someone is in danger of alcohol poisoning.
The Red Watch Band movement on college campuses is designed to band students together to watch over each other so that another senseless and unnecessary death from alcohol poisoning won’t occur. Only in existence since March 2009, the Red Watch Band program is quickly spreading its message and movement to other college campuses as well as high schools across the country.
Continue reading Red Watch Band: An Inspiration Born from Tragedy →
Priya Borker
Priya Borker is a Stony Brook University senior heading to medical school next fall.
A get-involved personality, Borker has been active in many organizations on campus and, not surprisingly, many of her endeavors tend toward health and well-being. She works with Americorps, which helped distribute H1N1 vaccines this year, and she’s an Executive Board member for the Residence Hall Association. Borker is also a member of the Chill and Choice Peer Health Internships, which promotes education, and prevention and awareness of mental and physical health issues on campus such as depression, sexual issues, and alcohol and tobacco use.
Borker recently went through training to be a student volunteer in the Red Watch Band program.
Continue reading Student Voices: Priya Borker →
SUNY Geneseo has joined the Red Watch Band
Geneseo Goes Red Watch Band
Other schools took notice when word about the innovative Red Watch Band program filtered beyond its Stony Brook University origins.
One school that was quick to embrace the Red Watch Band initiative was SUNY Geneseo. Unfortunately, the timing of Red Watch Band was significant for SUNY Geneseo. One of their students tragically died of alcohol toxicity last spring.
“The campus was pretty shocked by the whole episode because it had not happened here before,” said Melinda Dubois, the Administrative Director of Student Health and Counseling, who joined the Geneseo faculty shortly after the incident.
Dr. Bob Bonfiglio, Vice President of Student Campus Life, heard about Red Watch Band and decided to send five staff members to Stony Brook to receive training. Subsequently, Red Watch Band was introduced to the Geneseo campus with the first training session taking place during the fall 2009 semester.
Continue reading Red Watch Band Expands to SUNY Geneseo →
People earn Red Watch Band watches upon completion of training
You’ve heard about the Red Watch Band campaign to save lives by preventing people from dying of alcohol toxicity. You think it’s a great idea and a cause worth joining.
So how do you become someone who wears the Red Watch Band? How can you help someone in danger of alcohol poisoning?
Here’s what you have to do to become part of Red Watch Band—you need to sign up for Red Watch Band training, which is handled by the Stony Brook University Center for Prevention and Outreach. You’ll be placed into an upcoming training session—four of the most important hours you’re likely to spend at school learning how to save a life. After the training you’ll receive a certificate and a Red Watch Band to wear proudly so that friends and fellow students will know you’re properly prepared to help if someone’s drank too much.
Continue reading How Do You Train to Wear the Red Watch Band? →
Coffee won't help you sober up
Will drinking coffee help you sober up after drinking too much alcohol?
FICTION: You’ve been out drinking and feel a little tipsy. Maybe you had a few drinks, more than you should have, and now you want to sober up quickly. Your first reaction is, “I need a cup of coffee or two to sober up quickly.” But are you thinking clearly?
It turns out you’re not thinking clearly. Drinking coffee does not help you to become sober. Drinking coffee might make you feel more awake thanks to the caffeine, but you’ll still be drunk if you consumed too much alcohol.
Continue reading FACT OR FICTION: Will coffee help you sober up? →
It’s been a tough week—long classes, tests, papers due—and it’s the weekend and party time. You’re a hardworking student and you deserve to hang out and have fun with your friends.
No one wants to take that away from you. The people behind Red Watch Band just want to make sure that when you and your friends get together, you have a good time responsibly.
Remember—having a beer-chugging contest, downing too much liquor—it’s not really entertainment, it’s dangerous. At the very least it’s probably going to make you feel sick. At the worst, it’s going to make you seriously ill and can even kill you.
Important Facts to Consider Before You Pick up That Drink:
Continue reading The Skinny on Alcohol Consumption →
USA Today reports on Red Watch Band
The Red Watch Band movement might have gotten its start right here at Stony Brook University. But as often happens with great ideas, the word gets out about something special going on. The result: Red Watch Band is no longer just a Stony Brook University initiative.
News about Red Watch Band–a peer-generated, educational-oriented program derived to teach the dangers of binge drinking, the serious consequences of alcohol poisoning that includes possible death, and the proper action to take if you’re with someone who has consumed too much alcohol–is spreading quickly. As Lara Hunter, the national coordinator for Red Watch Band has aptly characterized the project, it’s “a death prevention program.”
Continue reading Red Watch Band – It’s Newsworthy! →
