Students Plan Substance-Free Walk

By Libby Cudmore • HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Edition of Friday, Oct. 3, 2014

With the local and national conversation focusing on college binge drinking, SUNY Oneonta students Gabriela Donato and James Dipaoli are hoping to show students and the community that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Donato, a member of the Sigma Gamma Phi sorority and Dipaoli, a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, have teamed up to lead the Substance Abuse Awareness walk from on Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Alumni Field House on the SUNY campus. “It’s an issue in the community,” said Dipaoli. “We want to raise money for further prevention.”

The two began organizing the walk over the summer, when one of Dipaoli’s fraternity brothers introduced him to Donato, who was looking to do a community service project. The two connected on Facebook and brainstormed ideas.

“We narrowed it down to substance abuse and domestic violence awareness,” said Donato.

“The trend isn’t that more students are drinking,” said Julie Dostal, LEAF executive director. “It’s that the same number of students are engaging in this culture of ‘super-binging,’ where they try to drink as much as they can in a short period.”

The proceeds from the walk will go towards LEAF. And Dostal challenged the students not just to walk, but pledge to make the day of the walk substance-free.