The Latino Coalition of Awareness and Protection (EL CAP) decorated half of Alumni Hall on Oct. 13 and 14 with two themes in mind: giving out information on drinking and driving, and Halloween.
Committee members of EL CAP, known as peer leaders and peer educators, set up various poster boards with blood alcohol level charts (B.A.C.) for men and women, the physical and mental effects drinking has and facts such as that anything that is menthol or mint (gum, mouthwash, toothpaste, etc) can set off breath analyzers. Other information was given through pamphlets, hand-outs with recipes for nonalcoholic beverages, a power point presentation and numerous fake tombstones with stories of people who died due to drunk driving.
A homemade coffin also lay on the ground, conveying a message inside. “The idea of the coffin is to put a mirror in there so when you open it, you see yourself-this could be you if you drink and drive,” said Carolyn Bernal, a junior and peer educator.
Gloomy music was played to emphasize the mood. Candy, condoms and punch were given out, while special goggles that showed drunken vision were used in a game. Once on, the goggles distorted a person’s perception as they tried to throw balls into a bucket of candy. Piñatas in the forms of a Corona and Tecate beer bottle were also stuffed with candy to be broken during Activity Hour on both days the event was held. Peer leaders and educators spent about two weeks in preparation of its first event on drinking and driving awareness. “I did research and I looked up videos on YouTube about people who died because of drunk driving,” said Bernal. “I also wrote the B.A.C. facts of how much [alcohol] you’re supposed to take in according to your weight.”
Supplies for the event were also put together by different individuals. “We did the posters together, but everyone had their own part to it,” said Adilene Arellano, a junior and peer leader. “Most of my coworkers bought the piñatas, candy, and other supplies needed.”
Though this kind of awareness is common in high schools, Bernal said that the EL CAP event gave more interactive knowledge. “In my high school, they just showed us videos, but here there’s more hands-on activity,” she said.
EL CAP is mainly known for its work in alerting the public, mainly Latinos, about the dangers of unprotected sex. “We inform Latinos about HIV because they’re the highest [rated] people with it,” said Bernal. “We believe this is because it’s a taboo subject in that culture. We also talk about substance abuse and Hepatitis A, B, and C [because] most people know about Hepatitis A, but they’re not aware of B and C.”
Upcoming events include Drug Week, which Arellano said will be held in November to discuss the different types of drugs and how they affect the human body. For those interested in joining, EL CAP meets every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with Dr. Segura in the third floor of the Lech Walesa Building.