Spring arrived early in Wisconsin—and the signs are all around: games of spike ball on the fresh grass outside Gordon, tulips blooming on Bascom Hill, and tables and chairs returning to the Terrace. With finals approaching, students are flocking to the libraries, but they are also looking for opportunities to relax, get outside, and connect with friends. Although celebration and relaxation are well deserved, the warmer weather and end of the school year can also bring about off-campus events that involve dangerous levels of alcohol use among students.
One prominent example is the Mifflin Street Block Party (Mifflin), an off-campus event on the last Saturday of April. This event is not university-sanctioned, and most students choose not to attend. However, for those who do, we are concerned about risks to student and community safety. Past events have brought about property damage, increased reports of sexual assault, use of weapons, and overconsumption of alcohol and other drugs.
You likely talked with your student about alcohol before they entered college, but it is important to keep an open dialogue and check in regularly—a series of smaller conversations can be more productive than one large talk. High-risk drinking events like Mifflin give you an opportunity to re-open this conversation with your student about alcohol use, regardless of whether they choose to drink.
Conversation Tips – Alcohol
It is normal to want to find common ground with your student around difficult topics like alcohol use. Comments like, “Hangovers are part of the college experience,” can unintentionally glamorize or normalize alcohol use. The college landscape around alcohol is evolving—our recent data shows that 40% of incoming first-year students have not used alcohol in the past year, and it is important to emphasize these changing norms with students.
Start the conversation with an open question:
- I heard that there is a large off-campus event this weekend. If you’re planning to attend, do you have a plan to keep yourself safe?
- What will you do if you feel pressure to drink or are offered a drink and don’t want one?
- How do you check-in with yourself and your friends to ensure everyone is feeling okay with a situation?
Provide statements of support to your student:
- I know that the end of the semester can be a stressful time. I hope you feel that you can take care of yourself—it’s okay to skip a party or take some time to rest.
- You have told me before that you sometimes don’t like to be around large parties or drinking events. You are welcome at home anytime this spring if you want a chance to get away and rest up before finals.
Keeping Students Safe
Madison Police are present at Mifflin to enforce laws and ordinances by ticketing and arresting participants, in addition to transporting incapacitated individuals to detox facilities. On campus, University officials implement additional rules to keep students safe, such as by prohibiting outside visitors to residence halls over that weekend.
Even as the University and the City of Madison take steps to protect students and community members, it is important to emphasize to students that they are also responsible for looking out for one another. In your conversations, discuss how their decisions around alcohol affect not only their own health and safety but also that of those around them.
One significant concern is the connection between high-risk alcohol use to sexual assault. While alcohol alone does not cause sexual violence, it is often used as an excuse for a lack of consent communication, using coercion, and crossing boundaries. Most sexual assaults on campus involve alcohol, and most sexual assaults occur between people who know one another. This is a time to help students consider their role in creating an environment of respect and consent at UW-Madison by ensuring they are honoring others’ boundaries and not making assumptions about what someone else is comfortable with.
Conversation Tips – Safety
When talking about safety, focus on self-care, resources, and resilience instead of warnings or fear-based tactics. Even if you are worried for your student, this is an opportunity to talk about how they can exercise their independence while also taking care of themselves and others.
Start the conversation with an open question:
- How would you talk to a friend if you saw them acting disrespectfully or pressuring someone, especially if they’ve been drinking?
- How do you know if someone wants the same thing as you in a romantic or sexual situation? How is this different when alcohol is involved?
Provide statements of support to your student:
- I hope you feel like you can trust your instincts and act if a situation feels dangerous.
- No one has the right to cross your boundaries or push you further than you want. This is something you can always talk to me about.
- If you’re worried about someone’s safety, remember that Amnesty Through Responsible Action ensures both the student incapacitated by alcohol or drugs and the student calling on their behalf do not receive disciplinary actions, sanctions, or citations.
Resources and Support
For more information on having conversations with your student about important health topics—including alcohol use, sexual violence, and mental health—please refer to the Navigating College Culture handbook.