Hocking College and Nelsonville join forces to control student drinking

by Chuck Bowen
Staff Writer

Hocking College and the city of Nelsonville have teamed up to curb underage drinking and other alcohol-related problems at Hocking College.

The Hocking College Department of Student Affairs and the Nelsonville and Hocking College police departments are working together to develop a program aimed at educating Hocking College students about the consequences of drinking, according to a news release.

"The program isn't punitive," said Steven Miller, the student affairs director. "We're trying to work cooperatively with the greater Hocking College community to deliver a message on high-risk drinking habits and work together to create an understanding on how high-risk drinking can impede certain goals."

The program, funded by the Nelsonville Police Department and Hocking College, will attempt to educate students and liquor license holders in order to lower the number of alcohol-related crimes, Nelsonville Police Chief Ted Jones said.

Hocking College Police Sgt. David Warren said the program's goal is to reduce underage sales, underage consumption, property damage and sexual assaults related to alcohol.

"It's a three-fold plan," Warren said. The program will educate, enforce and rehabilitate, he said.

The rehabilitation comes from Hocking College's Second Chance Program. This program, officially called the Alcohol and Other Drugs Education and Intervention Program, offers Hocking College students a way to wipe their records clean after being arrested for alcohol-related crimes.

"When Hocking College students have alcohol-related charges, (the students) are sent back to the Hocking College Judiciaries and get a second chance," Second Chance Coordinator Dale Minor said. "The program helps students understand the legal impact of alcohol abuse and the impact it has on their career and health."

During the 10-week program, students see films, participate in group discussions and write a paper about alcohol abuse, Minor said. When students finish the program, their charges are sealed by the courts in Nelsonville. This is important because of the nature of the jobs that many Hocking College graduates seek.

"Most students here finish their two years and go right into state or federal jobs," he said. "They do background checks." With alcohol-related crimes like underage consumption or driving under the influence on their records, students could be barred from gainful employment.

Also as part of the program to curb alcohol consumption, the police want to develop a partnership with the student housing landlords and determine what both parties can do for one another, Jones said.

"We want to use the landlords as a vehicle to distribute information to students so (the students) can make better, more informed decisions," he said.

The most important part of the program will be the building of relationships between students and police officers, Jones said. "We want to build our department's image with Hocking College students. That should temper activity and make things flow much smoother between officers and students."

The education aspect of the program will target the at-risk groups - 18-to-20-year-olds, tavern owners and vendors, Warren said.

Warren said enforcement will not be aimed at the vendors, but at the large parties that get out of hand. A group of four people drinking is just a good time, but when 400 people congregate, the situation gets out of hand and results in property damage.

Warren, along with Hocking College police officers Heather Schultz and Brian Sass and Hocking College Chief of Police David Valkinburg, will represent Hocking College in the program. Jones and Nelsonville officers Tom McKnight and John Meeks will represent the city in the program.