Safety TIPS
4
THE ONTARION
0 5 | SAFE WA LK
05 | PARTY TIPS
@theontarion
A safe place to snooze off the booze INSIDE U OF G’S CAMPUS ALCOHOL RECOVERY ROOM CAELAN BEARD
WITH HALLOWEEN PARTIES
just around the corner, it’s a great time to learn about the Campus Alcohol Recovery Room (CARR); a resource available to students who have had too much to drink. The CARR is located in the front lobby of Lambton Hall, and is for students living in residence who need a safe place to sleep off their drunkenness. As described by one of the program coordinators, Benjamin St. Peters, the CARR is meant for people who are too drunk to safely stay in their room alone, but who are not intoxicated enough to be transferred to the hospital. Once there, the intoxicated students’ well-being is monitored by volunteers, who will get them medical assistance if needed. There is always one volunteer present who is a trained First Responder, in addition to volunteers who have all received standard First Aid training. Similar programs exist at other universities, and some of CARR’s protocols and structures are based on those programs. However, there are differences. For example, St. Peters points to the program at Queen’s University, which is staffed by nurses; in contrast, U of
The CARR is a safe space for students living in residence to go when they’ve had too much to drink. | PHOTO BY ALORA GRIFFITHS
“Students who make use of the service won’t be put on any record or receive any fines, such as for underage drinking.” G’s room is completely student-run. St. Peters and another program coordinator, Sandra Dusolt, make it clear that the CARR is a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space for students to stay. Students who make use of the service won’t
be put on any record or receive any fines, such as for underage drinking. St . Pet ers adds that most people don’t realize that CARR is a drop-in service. Though some students are referred to the room
by Residence Life staff (RLS), you don’t need to have a referral or be brought in. People are welcome to just walk in or help a friend to the room. However, CARR does not have the power to hold anybody if they don’t want to stay. The room holds a maximum of six beds, but St. Peters and Dusolt say that they can usually find ways to accommodate people in instances where they are over capacity. Additionally, sometimes people who arrive earlier in the evening are okay to go home after a few hours, freeing up space for
new students. The program kicked off on St. Patrick’s Day of 2016. This is the first year that the room has been open since Orientation Week, and it will continue to be open all fall. The program’s organizers are aiming to keep the room open all winter as well, but are still waiting for official approval. The CARR normally operates on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and will also be open this Halloween.
STOP! You’ve just stumbled into the middle of your adventure! Start at the beginning of your spooky story on Pg.3, or continue if you meant to read this next part or don’t care about spoilers. You stand up straight and knock on the wooden door. One, two, three times. There is no answer. As you turn to leave, a strong gust of wind blows you back, pushing you through the open door. You fall flat on your back, the door slams shut behind you. You get up and try to open the door again, but there isn’t a doorknob. You assess the situation. The furniture in the room is covered by sheets, as if someone was getting ready to paint the walls, but there’s a layer of dust on everything. The old paint is cracked and peeling. There are cobwebs in every corner. The atmosphere is a little creepy, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. You decide to try to find another exit.
To walk upstairs: go to Pg. 19 To go downstairs: go to Pg. 14