SUNY Fredonia looking to reform Community Coalition

By Michael Rukavina

"One of the largest economic providers, and sometimes the biggest headache, the immediate area has to offer is looking to join forces with local entities to combat drug and alcohol abuse. Vice President of Student Affairs at SUNY Fredonia David Herman and SUNY Fredonia Police Chief Ann Burns met with the Fredonia Village Board during its Monday evening workshop to discuss the idea of reforming the Campus and Community Coalition..."

"What Herman proposed to the village of Fredonia board is that a coalition be reformed to combat the problems, much like the approach the state of Nebraska took to fix its problem of alcohol related issues among teenagers and students."

"'The University of Nebraska, and the state of Nebraska in 2003 discovered in a national survey they were among the leaders in the nation with all of the bad things having to do with teenage drinking. This sparked a state wide initiative and model which incorporates things like creating standards, expectations, modify ordinances to consistently enforce the laws, change perceptions, educating about policies and consequences and changing the culture of drinking to name a few,' Herman said. 'They worked hard in Nebraska to get all the bar owners to eliminate promotions because it seemed as if one had a quad night another needed a quad night and undercut the others. In 2005 they came down to the national average for most things....'"

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