Posted by the Editorial Board
When the rumors of Fall Fun Day were recently confirmed by SGA, the news received mixed reactions from the student body. Due to the popularity of the school's spring tradition, which shares its name, many returning students showed excitement. However, others have expressed concern over the possibility of the event turning into yet another opportunity for incidents of binge drinking.
While this event is meant to serve as a calm, welcome-back celebration, the connection to the spring Fun Day is inevitable. The spring tradition falls on the weekend before finals week and serves as a day to de-stress. Fun Day is one of the most highly anticipated and attended events, a tradition that is also linked to massive alcohol consumption.
Due to the timing and nature of Fun Day, it is not surprising that the event has become such an outlet for substance use. With this in mind, it's natural that students anticipate that Fall Fun Day may unfold in a similar fashion.
In recent years, it has not been unusual for alcohol-related incidents to occur during campus-wide celebrations. However, Fun Day has typically seen lower numbers of incidents than other major gatherings. There was only one hospitalization during Fun Day last year.
Fall semester is typically back heavy in terms of major celebrations, and Fall Fun Day seems to be SGA's attempt to balance the semester out. First year students would be introduced to a large, campus-wide event earlier on, instead of the annual Moorebid Ball* in late October. Fall Fun Day also provides a great opportunity for spring athletes and study abroad students to participate in an event they would otherwise miss.
Yet, with the school's history of alcohol mismanagement, there remains a concern for the outcome of this event. The school has seen an increase in the number of substance-related hospitalizations in recent years. In response, however, the administration has put forth many efforts to tackle this issue, including a revision of the AOD policy, campus-wide discussions, and increased safety measures at major events.
However, there is only so much that SGA and the administration can do. With Fall Fun Day, we have been presented with another chance to prove ourselves, and ultimately, the outcome of such a highly anticipated all-campus event lies in the hands of the student body.
*Contrary to rumors, Fall Fun Day is not a replacement for Moorebid Ball, and is very much a distinct entity. Moorebid is still being considered by SGA, and is in the tentative planning stages.