September 2006

In This Issue

General Assembly!
Join The BACCHUS Network on Facebook!
Consultant's Corner: Getting Involved in Area 10
Meet a Peer Educator!
What's Going On this Semester?
Inspiration!
Making Travel Plans for General Assembly
Area 10 CPE Training

Welcome Back!     Hello everyone.  It feels like it's been forever since our last communication.  I hope your campuses are coming in to the year as peaceful and positive as can be.  There is a lot in store for the coming months that BACCHUS would like to be apart of with you regarding campaigning and having your messages heard. Please take the time to read this newsletter and pass it on to your peer educators and colleagues. Also, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or comments! I appreciate all that you are doing, and I can't wait to see all or most of you in Anaheim this November!              

General Assembly!
 Search Among the Stars  

This year's General Assembly is taking place in Anaheim, CA. on Nov 9-12, 2006.  This year, GA reminds us to Search Among the Stars of your peer education groups to recognize the strengths of your members and their contributions to your college. I challenge all of you to stretch your abilities during this school year and to take advantage of the resources from Bacchus.  The 3-day event is filled with great workshops for all campuses whether you have just started or have been in the works for years; it is never too late to get new, bright ideas.  I encourage everyone to come to this assembly as it will be one that you will never forget.     Save the Date
There is so much to gain from General Assembly that no event or deadline should be missed. Below is a detailed list of important dates so that you can shine like a star at General Assembly!

Friday, October 6
Founders Scholarship Applications Due For peer education groups chartered after January 1, 2006

Friday, October 13
Awards submissions due!
There are Six Types of Awards That are Presented to Honor Our Affiliates:

Individual Recognition Awards
Outstanding Student
Outstanding Advisor
Outstanding Alumni

Peer Education Group Program Awards
Outstanding Program/Event
Outstanding Network Affiliate
Outstanding Tobacco Control Programming

Monday, October 16
BAC-Tail Contest Sign-up online until spaces are filled. BAC-Tails are actually mocktails where juices and soda and other non-alcoholic beverages are mixed together and made into inspiring drinks that are voted on at General Assembly get-togethers. School Exhibit Table Sign-up online until spaces are filled

Before Wednesday, October 25
Make hotel reservations at the Hyatt Regency Orange County for lower rates. $129 Single/Double/Triple Quad plus applicable taxes.
For conference rates, please call the hotel at (714) 750-1234.

Submit conference registration to The BACCHUS Network for $250 per person.  After this date, $280 per person. (Sorry - last date to request a refund for conference registration for ANY REASON. You may make a substitution at any time.)

Wednesday, October 25
Last postmark to submit letter of intention for Student Trustee Elections

Wednesday, November 1 - Noon EST
Last date to register for the conference online from our website. After deadline, call 303.871.0901 and request a form to fax in your registration.     Advisors, please remind your peer educators that running for Student Advisory Committee member is a very prestigious position and it accepted with the utmost importance.  For those able to attend GA, there is a Thursday night meeting that is required of possible SAC memebers.  

During the Area 1 meeting candidates will deliver a brief speech outlining their interest in the position. A question and answer session will follow each speech. Votes will be cast by each attending recognized BACCHUS or GAMMA affiliate. The Student Trustees will announce election results at the luncheon on Saturday.

Students interested in becoming an SAC but unable to attend GA should contact myself at their earliest convenience in order to be given details on the election process. Check out another reason to head to GA this fall...Josh Kelley, a RADD celebrity will be Friday Night's entertainment.  Click on Friday Night Special Event under General Assembly Links at the website below!      Read on...General Assembly Information

Join The BACCHUS Network on Facebook!

In an effort to expand student-focused communication initiatives, The BACCHUS Network will now utilize student social network Facebook’s global group feature as a secondary communication tool. In July of 2006, global groups became one of Facebook’s available features. This feature allows users from all networks with a common interest to join a network wide group as opposed to university specific chapters.     As of December 2005, Facebook has the largest number of registered users among college focused sites at over 7.5 Million US college students with current accounts and another 20,000 new accounts created daily.     The BACCHUS Network global group page will feature network information, contact information, recent news, photos, a discussion Board, comment wall, student officer profiles, a link to the network website and access to related groups. The global group will provide another access point for information regarding the network and network events. It will also contribute to ongoing network communication initiatives, as it will serve as a new form of direct to student of communication. Discussion board and wall features will provide students with another open forum to debate and discuss issues and appropriate photos will help visualize the efforts of local affiliates and the network as a whole.

Consultant's Corner: Getting Involved in Area 10  

 We've spent a good deal of this newsletter talking about General Assembly, mainly because it is the premiere peer education conference in the nation! It is an exciting opportunity to enrich yourself and expand your peer education experience, whether you are a student or an advisor.

However, there are other ways to get involved in the BACCHUS Network!  We are currently seeking State Coordinators in Area 10 as well as campuses to host our spring conference in 2007 and beyond.

State Coordinator
State Coordinators are an integral part of the Area Leadership Team. Working in collaboration with the Area Consultant and the Student Advisory Committee member, they are campus professionals who serve as a key link between the affilates in their state(s) and the National Office.

They also play an active role in the area conference each spring and serve as a spokesperson for the BACCHUS Network. The benefits to you and your campus are numerous as you would be involved with a great group of people, all committed to promoting peer education as a component of health education efforts on college campuses.    

 Area Conference Host
In the spring, each of the twelve BACCHUS regions hosts an area conference. Typically held on a campus, one (or more) campuses will work to host the conference.  The host campus' peer education group and advisor works closely with the Area Leadership Team to coordinate all aspects of the conference, from space selection to registration.  

Several areas have been successful in having two or more campuses come together for planning the conference, while one campus serves as the actual host.  Another option is to hold the conference at a retreat center or similar off-campus venue if such a site is central in the area and cost effective.  (Ideas for these kinds of sites are always welcome!)     If you would like to learn more about these ways of getting involved in Area 10, contact me at your earliest convenience. Any and all questions are welcome!  I can be reached at 860.685.2466 or by email at lcurrie@wesleyan.edu.

 Hope to hear from you soon!      

Meet a Peer Educator!  

Name: Angie Isenberg
School Name: Boston College
Group Name: b.l.u.e.
Year in School: Class of 2008
Major: Psychology and Human Development
Most Effective Campaign Done on Your Campus: I believe Drawing the Shades, a performance about being a survivor of sexual assault, was the most effective last year. Because of it's dramatic element, it was a very emotional and thought provoking performance that made an impact on all of those who saw it.
Most influential part of being a peer educator: It's hard to see immediate results on a college campus, but when one person comes up to you and tells you that you made a difference in their life or have helped them in some way, you can see that what you do is worthwhile.      

What's Going On this Semester?  

There are many messages for campuses to receive throughout the semester regarding healthy-decision making.  While The BACCHUS Network does not offer program materials for all of these subjects, there are a plethora of ways to initiate and continue sending the message and having your campus hear your voice.     Check out the BACCHUS website for further details and ideas on what to program for...

Inspiration!  

I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance;
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

from "Fully Alive" by Dawna Markova      

Making Travel Plans for General Assembly  

 With General Assembly being held on the West Coast, travel costs for those of us in New England could be a little higher than usual. Sharing hotel rooms and booking a group rate on a flight might help in bringing costs down.     If members of your group are attending General Assembly, please let Lisa Currie, Area 10 Consultant, know by emailing her at lcurrie@wesleyan.edu. She will share a list of campuses attending with all advisors to facilitate connections.

 Alternately, post a request to share hotel rooms to the BACCHUS listserv in order to seek out groups from other areas. This might be especially helpful if you have an odd number of students or if you wish to keep rooms split by gender.

If you are not already subscribed to the BACCHUS listserv, you can subscribe quickly and easily through the BACCHUS Network website (link below). It's a great way to keep connected to other peer educators and advisors!     Learn more about the BACCHUS Listserv

Area 10 CPE Training
Saturday, October 28 at Wesleyan University  

Area 10 Certified Peer Educator Training
Saturday, October 28, 2006
8:45am to 5:00pm
Wesleyan University
Facilitated by Lisa Currie, Area 10 Consultant

We are very excited to announce the BACCHUS Network Area 10 Certified Peer Educator (CPE) Training, to be held Saturday, October 28, 2006 at Wesleyan University.

Due to the distance to General Assembly in Anaheim, CA this year and the high demand for CPE training at last spring’s Area 10 Conference, we are offering peer education groups in Area 10 the opportunity for an additional CPE Training before the 2007 spring conference.

This is a great opportunity for members of your peer education group to receive training on the key elements of being an effective peer educator:

Advisors, if you did not receive the email detailing registration, please click on the link below to download the packet!     

Click for Area 10 CPE Training Information 

 Sincerely,   

Racquel Wells
The Bacchus Network
Email:  area10sac@bacchusgamma.org