Sober Sisters: More Harm Then Good???

[JupiterTC]

As founding sisters, we are trying to implement risk management strategies early on to avoid serious problems in the future. One strategy that we have immediately started is Sober Sister, where sisters are willing to give rides to those who are intoxicated. I think (though I could be wrong on this) every GLO on our campus has a Sober Sister/Brother program. We also have a school wide program called Safe Rides, which is for every student on campus regardless if they are affliated or not.

Some of my non-Greek friends think that such programs promote underage drinking. According to their view since there are rides available to the sisters, then it gives them a reason to drink. But at the same time, Sober Sisters can prevent drunk driving.

Does your chapter also have Sober Sister/Brother? Do you guys think it encourages drinking, or is it a good risk managment tool?

[33girl]

Preventing people from driving drunk is the important part, not legislating morality. Sober Sister/Brother should be mandatory for every chapter in the nation.

Your non-Greek "friends" sound like they are just trying to find something to bitch about.

[astroAPhi]

Originally posted by 33girl
Preventing people from driving drunk is the important part, not legislating morality. Sober Sister/Brother should be mandatory for every chapter in the nation.

Your non-Greek "friends" sound like they are just trying to find something to bitch about.

Very well said, especially the last part.

Personally, I'm a lot more worried about people driving drunk than I am letting them drink underage.

[PhoenixAzul]

I definitely agree. Especially having your underage members as SS's. I'm always sober sis. (incidentally it's how I learned how to drive stick), and there's a couple other of my sisters who never drink, so the houses on campus have our numbers and know that we'll crawl out of bed at 3 am and walk someone home. It's important to have sobers on regular days (how many of you have participated in Wasted Wednesday? ) and on the weekends.

[boz130]

This is a great idea, actually...when I went to my Lambda Chi chapter's Homecoming last weekend at Illinois State, I had two guys mention that they were assigned to be the "DD" (designated drivers) at the alumni reception. Keep up the good work.

Interfraternally,
BF

[aephi alum]

A sober sister program is a great idea, especially if you have sisters who might drive to bars or parties.

My chapter never had a formal SS program, but we didn't really need it:

- Most undergrads don't have cars
- Boston has good public transportation (as long as you're headed home before the T stops running at 1am )
- The school runs Safe Ride, shuttle vans that take students to various spots on campus as well as to the off-campus GLO houses, free of charge. They run 7 days a week.
- At least 1/3 of my chapter didn't drink

So driving drunk wasn't really an issue. As far as getting trashed in general went, we looked out for each other, and if need be, we might "gently suggest" that a sister call it a night if she overindulged... but it wasn't anything formalized, just what sisters do for each other.

[DeltAlum]

If you subscribe to the theory that most college students will drink, I don't see how any kind of a designated driver program could be a bad thing.

[adpiucf]

College students do drink. As long as you are enforcing the rules regarding underage alcohol use, educating your members on the dangers of alcohol abuse and have a system in place for a designated driver on going-out nights, you are taking preventative measures to keep your members and your friends safe.

Hold a workshop for the residence halls about alcohol abuse and ways to prevent drunk driving, sponsored by your sorority. A great way to promote the new organization and also to silence your friends' nagging taunts.

ETA sounds like your non-Greek friends are just skeptical of your new relationship with Tri-Delta. Encourage them to come out to your events and meet your sisters. The best thing to do with haters is to love them to pieces.

[steelepike]

i don't see how having a safe driver program can do harm. People are gonna drink even if they don't have a ride and that opens up the troubles of driving or walking both of which can get you a ticket, or worse.

[DeltAlum]

Actually, on further reflection, I did come up with one possible downside.

If a member knows that there is a designated driver, she/he might be lulled into drinking more and flirt with the possibility of these terrible instances of alcohol poisoning.

However, in my mind, the safe driver program is very much worth the time and effort.

[DolphinChicaDDD]

This is the system we set up (and I commend you guys for getting a head start on it...took us about 2 years). This is only in effect for mixers.

First, we get a master list of all those who have a car. Technically, you can't tell a person who is 21 that they have to be sober; its their right to be able to drink. But their name goes into the hat anyway.
A sign up sheet is passed around for mixers; anyone who wants to be a driver volunteers. Usually, there is enough people who want to drive/ have to be sober for some reason (that was usually me because of the 48hour rule for sports...and i used to bring my text books with me and take over one of the guy's rooms).
If not enough girls volunteer, names get drawn from a hat. If the person is over 21 and doesn't want to drive...well, there isn't anything that can be done about it. If you pick a girl under 21, she is DD.
We also put a time limit for mixers. After 2am, you need to call yourself a cab (unless the DD agrees to come back).
Some events we just get drunk buses. We actually get discounts from one guy cause all of us use him on the weekends.

ETA: I think anything that prevents a drunk person from getting on the road is a good thing. Like other people said, people will drink.

[chideltjen]

For formalized events, like mixers and such, the social chair and at least one other exec member remain sober. Generally those that have cars and are under 21 are the DDs (since under 21s can't drink at mixers, but overs can.) Pre partying is a different story but there are at least 5-7 sober sisters at every event.

As far as going out during the week, it becomes more of a "well we're all going out as friends, therefore someone NEEDS to drive us." I don't see how this tactic would differ from non-greek to greeks. College students drink in general... not just greeks.

And during the weekends, our school has a Safe Ride program that runs Thursday-Saturday.

[nauadpi]

My chapter had what we called Alphie's Angels... On thursday, friday and saturday nights there were two sisters on call (you volunteered to do it)... The chapter had a cell phone and any sister could call it to be picked up... It did not just have to be you were drunk... Many sisters would call it if they just wanted to leave somewhere and come home... If you were at the library and it became dark it was very handy (where my college is, is a dark sky city so there are very few lights on campus)...

In terms of socials, if alcohol was being served you were not allowed to drive yourself, transportation was provided... And exec, anyone underage, and the risc managment team were required to not drink...

Also I wanted to make note, that the reason two sisters would be on call for a night, is so if people went out with a car but could not drive it home there was a sister to drive it as well...

I in general am more worried about my sisters getting home alive then underage drinking... I have seen too many of my sisters in car crashes from stupid drivers on the road, and don't need one of them driving drunk to be another cause of an acident...

[James]

There are clean needle states, do they promote heroin use?

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by JupiterTC
According to their view since there are rides available to the sisters, then it gives them a reason to drink.

I've learned that if you want to drink--regardless of how old you are or where you are--you will. I've taken cabs, called Public Safety, and walked when I was drunk. Whether or not there's a designated driver doesn't mean anything, and I learned that when I was still an independent.