OkSOBERfest offers alcohol-free night for students, community

OkSOBERfest
Date: Thursday, Oct. 31
Time: 8 p.m.
Place: Ponderosa Room, UNK’s Nebraskan Student Union
Sponsored by: Peer Health Education student organization
Info: The event features alcohol education activities, including simulated sobriety tests performed by a Kearney Police Department officer. … It also includes carnival games such as a plate break, miniature golf and ring toss. Participants will compete in a costume contest with single, double and group categories.

By AMANDA ARNOLD
UNK Communications

KEARNEY – To empower students to make wiser choices, the Peer Health Education student organization will host its annual OkSOBERfest event at 8 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 31) in the Ponderosa Room at the Nebraskan Student Union. The event is free and open to the public.

The event features alcohol education activities, including simulated sobriety tests performed by a Kearney Police Department officer.

OkSOBERfest also includes carnival games such as a plate break, miniature golf and ring toss. Participants will compete in costume contests. Food will be provided by the Loper Programming Activities Council and Chartwells, among others.

“Putting on OkSOBERfest is a lot of hard work and takes months of preparation, but students really enjoy themselves and are staying safe on a night that could otherwise be scary due to excessive drinking and partying,” said Samantha Mitchell, president of Peer Health Education.

Peer Health Education received funding from Region 3 Behavioral Health Services, Student Support Services, The Nebraska Collegiate Consortium and LPAC for the event.

OkSOBERfest has been considered a success in previous years according to Kaitlyn Smejdir, vice president of Peer Health Education. “Every year our numbers increase, and we hope that trend continues,” she said. “Last year we had nearly 550 students come to our event.”

Last year, more than 30 percent of UNK students reported high risk drinking – having five or more drinks the last time they partied, according to UNK Peer Health Education. Sixteen percent of UNK students admitted to drinking and driving within the last 30 days after having five or more alcoholic drinks.

-30-

OkSOBERfest Source: Ismael Torres, 308.865.8092, torresio@unk.edu
Writer: Amanda Arnold, 308.865.8529, unknews3@unk.edu