SMU student leaders have formed Mustangs Who Care, a program that encourages students to act responsibly in social settings and trains them to intervene when someone is misusing alcohol or drugs and needs help.
“Mustangs Who Care is about students watching out for their fellow students,” says Patrick Kobler, student body president. “It’s a way for SMU students to show that we can be responsible for ourselves.”
Kobler, a senior political science major, developed the program with Student Senate members and the SMU Circle of Trust chapter, a partner of the Gordie Foundation. The Gordie Foundation is dedicated to the memory of Gordie Bailey, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Colorado who died of alcohol poisoning as a result of a fraternity initiation ceremony in 2004. Its mission is to provide young people with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, binge drinking, peer pressure and hazing.
To join the program, students enroll in Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS), a two-and-a-half-hour course offered through Memorial Health Center. TIPS participants learn decision-making and interpersonal skills to help them take a leading role in preventing alcohol misuse. Currently, 300 students have participated in the TIPS course.
For TIPS-certified students, the Mustangs Who Care course is an additional 20 minutes of training led by students. Participants learn the signs of alcohol poisoning and drug overdose, how to use SMU’s Call for Help program and to call 911 when a student is in distress.
After training, students receive a Mustangs Who Care wristband to wear. “The wristband will allow a student in distress to easily locate a Mustang Who Cares,” Kobler says, “and with the training, the student will know how to handle a potentially life-threatening situation.”
For more information, contact Patrick Kobler at pkobler@smu.edu or 214-768-4448.