More than 260 students gathered at Crawford Green March 18 for Break Responsibly, a cross-campus wellness initiative designed to equip students with knowledge and resources to make informed decisions during Spring Break.
The initiative was organized through Student Affairs and brought together more than a dozen campus departments, including the Campus Activities Board, Greek Life, Residence Life, Security, Student Advising, Student Conduct, the Student Counseling Center, Student Government Association (SGA), Student Life and Title IX, among others. The event offered interactive activities, safety resources and candid conversations about alcohol, drug use and personal responsibility.
“We hope this event gives students the tools they need to think through their choices this Spring Break to return safely to campus,” said Alexandria Milidantri-O’Brien, assistant director of Residence Life.
Organizers structured the event around a passport system, requiring students to collect signatures from key educational stations to earn raffle entries for prizes. The format was intended to familiarize students with campus resources in a low-pressure setting, while ensuring engagement with core safety content.
The stations ranged from informational to interactive:
- Student Conduct walked students through Blood Alcohol Content levels and how factors like gender and weight affect intoxication.
- Security led guided conversations about how legal consequences today can affect career paths years down the line.
- Title IX offered an interactive beverage safety board, grab-and-go safety kits and led discussions on consent.
- Recreation and Esports each used “drunk goggles”—paired with tricycles and Mario Kart, respectively—to demonstrate the effects of alcohol and drugs on coordination and visual processing, even when users may not feel impaired.
- Residence Life operated three stations: a mechanical bull with alcohol and drug trivia, a chemical reaction demonstration illustrating the dangers of mixing substances and a memory obstacle course designed to show how cognitive function degrades under pressure.
- Turning Point USA led bystander intervention exercises, having students act through scenarios involving dangerous alcohol-related situations.
- SGA distributed drink-cover “night caps” to promote drink protection.
- Greek Life assembled Spring Break safety kits for students.
- Project Response and the Holzer Health Center offered HIV testing and sexual health information.
- Student Advising and the Ombuds office hosted games centered on real-life risky behaviors and healthy decision-making.
- The Alumni Association promoted its Panther to Panther4Life network.
- The Campus Activities Board supplied treats from Southern Ice.
The initiative comes amid national data showing that more than 1,500 college students die annually from alcohol-related injuries, with Spring Break representing a particularly dangerous window. At Florida Tech, 115 of 230 student conduct cases over the past year involved upperclassmen, with alcohol, prohibited items and disruptive behavior among the leading violations.
Many students attended the event in groups, with several seen at the bystander intervention station, pledging to look out for one another and hold each other accountable.
“It was a great opportunity to raise awareness in a fun and engaging way,” said student Gabby Cadolino. “I especially liked the concept of rotating through different stations, each with its own activity and takeaway. It made it easy to learn a variety of important tips in an interactive way. Overall, it created a positive environment while still emphasizing the importance of making safe and responsible choices.”
The event’s emphasis on proactive decision-making—rather than reactive consequences—was central to its design, Milidantri-O’Brien said, and it was well received by students, aligning with the university’s broader goals around well-being and student success.
