It is nearly time for the eighth annual Live Free Weekend. This is a special opportunity to engage students in meaningful conversations about alcohol and drug use, and I am asking you to spread the word about the weekend while encouraging participation.
The Live Free Weekend is an initiative presented by Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) and sponsored by many campus departments and groups. It encourages members of the entire university community (students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members) to take a 96-hour pledge to live free from alcohol and recreational drugs. The weekend begins at noon on Thursday, Sept. 22 and ends at noon on Monday, Sept. 26. (If abstinence is not one’s goal, people can also sign a binge-free agreement.)
This pledge provides the entire community with an opportunity to explore our attitudes about substance use. It allows us all to step back and decide if our behaviors are in line with our values. This philosophy is the driving force behind the Live Free Weekend. By taking and discussing this pledge, we can support our students, exhibit concrete leadership, and model responsible behavior.
Please take a moment to visit the Live Free website at www.colorado.edu/livefreeweekend. On the website, you can take the pledge, take the pledge as a group, and learn more about alcohol-free social events available for students that are presented throughout the weekend. Please be sure to announce this program and the many events in your classes, labs, or departments. Also, groups and departments can take the pledge together, so please consider bringing this challenge into the various groups with which you work.
Together, we can help students learn to make sound choices around alcohol, marijuana, and recreational drugs while promoting healthy, meaningful ways to connect. Thank you for helping create a positive impact on our students and university.
Christina Gonzales,
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Vice Chancellor Christina Gonzales
