EDITORIAL & OPINION: Subsidizing TIPS training

The UA subsidy for TIPS training makes an important program more accessible. TIPS teaches students how to intervene when a friend has had too much to drink and how to determine when a person has reached the point where they need help -- skills that are often practical and important for students. Unfortunately, until now, TIPS has been offered primarily to fraternity presidents, social chairs and risk management chairs. Worse, students have been charged $13 to participate in the program. With the UA subsidy, the program will only cost $5 per person, and will be open to as many as 700 students this spring -- a large increase from the 800 students educated over the last three years combined. We welcome this expansion as a recognition of the value of providing these tools to as many a students as possible. The program targets fraternities, aiming at educating 500 of 700 new pledges this spring. However, while fraternities host many campus events where alcohol is served, TIPS training is valuable for students regardless of whether or not they are members of a fraternity, and we encourage as many as possible to participate. Even though the program is only mandatory for Greeks, we believe that the decision to provide a UA subsidy for TIPS makes sense. A third of Penn's undergraduate student body are members of the Greek system and their needs are a valid focus for UA efforts and funds. TIPS training is an important component in a complete alcohol awareness program. But Penn has worked in recent years to provide other types of educational programs as well. The Drug and Alcohol Resource Team's program, mandatory for all incoming members of the Greek system, provides an excellent complement to TIPS training by educating students about the dangers associated with alcoholism. Programs like TIPS and DART are crucial in attempting to ensure that Penn's campus is never visited with the spectre of an alcohol-related death -- a story which has been told at all too many college campuses nationwide. Saving students' money while potentially saving student lives -- we can't imagine a better use for UA funds.