The questions posed by Lehigh students in the video are pointed: How much did you drink last night? Did you black out? Do you remember how you got home?
The Student Senate members who scripted a public service announcement for the Lehigh community were intentionally direct in their efforts to educate others about Pennsylvania’s medical amnesty policy under the new Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
“We wrote the questions the way we did to just kind of wake everybody up,” said Nova Stoller ’21, chair of the Student Senate’s Safety and Wellness Committee. In self-reflection, she said, the students who see the video might come to realize that they have been drinking more than they should or that they have not been looking out for their friends in critical situations.
The new state law is named in honor of 19-year-old Penn State student Tim Piazza, who died as a result of injuries incurred at a fraternity party in 2017. While it stiffens penalties for hazing, the law also provides immunity to those who seek medical assistance or who contact law enforcement or emergency personnel for help.
Even before the new state law, Lehigh’s policy has been to provide students with amnesty from violations of Lehigh’s Code of Conduct if they sought emergency medical attention for themselves or others as a result of drug use or alcohol consumption. But until the state law changed, Stoller said, there was confusion among students who still feared they’d be charged by off-campus police, expose a friend to legal problems or jeopardize a campus organization that hosted a social event.
“There was no black and white,” Stoller said. “It was all gray.”
The student-led PSA, filmed by Lehigh videographer Stephanie Veto and featuring a number of Lehigh student leaders and Lehigh University Police Department officer Lora Martin, provides alcohol poisoning statistics, alerts other students to the state’s new medical amnesty provision and encourages them to seek emergency help when necessary. The message is endorsed by student organizations listed at the end of the video.
“It’s making people feel more responsible,” said Stoller. “And the bottom line of the video is, at the end of the day, all these organizations and all these people would rather you call [for help] and make sure that you’re safe than risk your life.”
Stoller anticipates the message will be effective because it’s being delivered primarily by fellow students, rather than people of authority. She said every student will likely recognize at least one person in the video, and therefore, be more likely to share it on social media channels.
“If it’s coming as advice from a friend or a fellow student or someone you know in your class or maybe as part of your sorority or fraternity, you’re probably going to listen more,” Stoller said. “You’re relying on their advice, and you’re relying on their experiences. We’re using social influence here.”
