Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Andrea Pendergast Sophomore Karen Zuleger stands in "jail" on the Campus Mall and asks passers-by for donations to make bail after being "arrested" by a university police officer on Wednesday afternoon. This "Jail and Bail" activity is part of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.

Media Credit: Andrea Pendergast Jean Kilbourne answers a question from the crowd after giving her presentation, "Deadly Persuasion: Advertising and Addiction" on Tuesday night in Schofield Auditorium.

If everyone were to "drink responsibly" like they're told to do in alcohol advertisements, alcohol sales would be down 80 percent.

This is one of many points award-winning author and public speaker Jean Kilbourne highlighted Tuesday in her speech, "Deadly Persuasion: Advertising & Addiction." Kilbourne's presentation is one of several on-campus activities in recognition of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, scheduled for Sept. 22 through 29.

Kilbourne's speech focused on a number of topics including the dangers of drugs and alcohol, how advertising companies manipulate their audience and the image of women in the media.

"I'm not anti-smoker at all, I am anti-tobacco industry," Kilbourne said, showing a cigarette advertisement and joking, 'Alive with pleasure,' - a Newport slogan - beats dead with cancer.

On a more serious note, Kilbourne said that cigarettes kill more Americans each year than alcohol, cocaine, heroin, fires, car crashes, homicide, suicide and AIDS combined.

Freshman Allie Shilling said Kilbourne's presentation held her interest throughout.

"I learned really surprising statistics about drinking and about advertisements for the cigarette companies," Shilling said. "She kept my interest because she didn't stay on one subject for a long time. It was different subjects and different pictures."

Much of Kilbourne's presentation focused on the negative portrayal of women in the media. Among other facts, she noted today's average model weighs 23 percent less than the average person.

"It creates the illusion that everyone has to look like this," Kilbourne said. "It affects women's self-esteem and it makes men judge women more harshly."

Kilbourne also spoke about drinking, branding it the top problem on college campuses. She said that four college students die daily from alcohol-related causes.

Other Alcohol Awareness Week events included the Michael Noll Memorial Run/Walk on Saturday, an Action City fun night on Sunday, an open house in the Center for Alcohol Studies and Education office in Schofield Hall on Monday and a "Jail and Bail" on Wednesday, in which University Police officers "arrested" students who then raised money to bail themselves out. The money went to the Student Wellness Advocacy Team to support future wellness programming on campus.

More than $300 was raised in the Michael Noll Run/Walk on Saturday, said Jennifer Lee, director of the Center for Alcohol Studies and Education adding that there were tons of volunteers.

Higherground will host "Virgin Bourbon Street" tonight from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Each residence hall will compete to create the best alcohol-free cocktail followed by a Texas Hold'em poker tournament.

The finale of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week will include a casino night at Higherground from 10 p.m. to midnight, Friday.

"I just hope that people are aware that choices equal responsibility," Lee said. "Nobody's telling people how to live their lives; they just want people to understand the risks. I just hope students learn from this."

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