CORRECTION (updated 9/10/09): In the Sept. 9, 2009 edition of The Daily Campus, the story titled “SMU celebrates Goride” contained several factual errors.National Gordie Day will take place on Sept. 24, not Sept. 27.
Megan Knapp, a health educator at SMU, is not to be quoted as saying “When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless and intelligence cannot be applied.”
The 1,700 flags decorating the lawn will represent the 1,700 students whose lives are lost in alcohol-related incidents each year, not the number of alcohol-poisoning deaths each year.
The Daily Campus staff apologizes for these mistakes and thanks the SMU community for bringing them to our attention.
SMU joins 94 other universities on Sept. 24 for National Gordie Day in order to promote alcohol awareness on college campuses and commemorate those who have died from alcohol abuse.
Sponsored by SMU’s Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and the student group, Circle of Trust, the day’s events include a candlelight vigil on Sept. 23 and a visually stimulating flood of 1,700 little green flags tacked into the grass in front of Dallas Hall. The flags represent the 1,700 students whose lives are lost to alcohol poisoning each year.
The Gordie Foundation was founded by Leslie and Michael Lanahan in memory of their son, 18-year-old Gordie Bailey. The University of Colorado freshman died of alcohol poisoning in September of 2004 after a fraternity initiation.
Statistics show that alcohol kills 6.5 more students annually than all other drugs combined, and 82 percent of hazing deaths involve alcohol. National Gordie Day will coincide with National Hazing Prevention Week this year in hopes that anti-hazing efforts will help provide a framework to discuss responsible alcohol use.
The mission of the Gordie Foundation “is to provide today’s young people with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, binge drinking, peer pressure and hazing.”
In the past, SMU has collaborated with the Gordie Foundation on mirror clings hung in residence hall bathrooms that highlight the signs of alcohol poisoning. SMU also hosted National Gordie Day on campus last year.
