Great American Smokeout--TODAY

Happy Great American Smokeout! Today we celebrate the people who have made the brave and life-saving decision to transition to a life free of tobacco.

Those who quit for today’s 24 hour period will need support to keep the healthy lifestyle change moving. Please take the time to connect with those who are quitting and offer your assistance, whether it’s directing them to nicotine replacement medications, checking in on their quit attempt progress, or just offering up words of encouragement.

Speaking of...the White House released this short video congratulating those making a quit attempt:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/11/17/president-obama-congratulations-everyone-taking-part-todays-great-american-smokeout

And don’t forget: BACCHUS is here to help campuses make the move to tobacco free and to better promote cessation.

Thanks again for all you do to make campuses healthier and safer places!

The Tobacco Team at BACCHUS

Bidding Update for Wednesday, November 30th

Bidding has begun! See below for the current bids. To place a bid, simply email katied@bacchusnetwork.org (include speaker's name, your bid and institution name). Bidding closes Monday, December 12th at 5pm EST.

NOTE: All bids must increase at an increment of $50 over a previous bid.

Current Bids as of 2:00pm@ MST:

Meghan Rothschild
Sun safety/skin cancer program
http://SurvivingSkin.org
Value $1000
Min. Bid $500
Current Bid: $ (no bid)

Shawn Decker & Gwenn Barringer
HIV/Sexual Health program
http://www.shawnandgwenn.com/
Value $3300
Min. Bid $500
Current Bid: $500.00

Sally Spencer-Thomas
Mental Health/Suicide Prevention/Hope
http://www.campuspeak.com/speakers/spencer-thomas/
Value $2,500
Min. Bid $500
Current Bid: $ (no bid)

Sean Heffron
Leadership, motivational speaking - various topics
Value $700
Min. Bid $250
Current Bid: $ (no bid)

Paul Jones "BiPolar Boy"
"It's all mental" - Mental Health Program
http://www.bipolarboy.com/
Value $3,000
Min. Bid $500
Current Bid: $ (no bid)

Brent Scarpo #1
"The Last Call" AOD program
http://brentscarpo.com
Value $3,000
Min. Bid $500
Current Bid: $ (no bid)

Brent Scarpo #2
"The Last Call" AOD program
http://brentscarpo.com
Value $3,000
Min. Bid $500
Current Bid: $ (no bid)

Brent Scarpo #3
"The Last Call" AOD program
http://brentscarpo.com
Value $3,000
Min. Bid $500
Current Bid: $ (no bid)

Bidding begins on Monday, November 28th!

Looking for a great campus speaker at a fraction of the cost? Then get ready to bid on a Silent Auction speaking engagement.

Bidding will open on Monday, November 28th at 8am MST and close on Monday, December 12th at 5pm EST. All bids must be emailed directly to Katie Dunker at katied@bacchusnetwork.org. Highest bid wins. Current bids will be updated via the BACCHUS Blog at http://bacchusnetwork.blogspot.com/.

These speaking engagements have been generously donated to The BACCHUS Network, meaning your bid goes back to BACCHUS to support health promotion efforts across hundreds of college campuses.

Credit, check, and purchase orders will be accepted for payment. In addition to bid amount, winner pays speaker's travel expenses, to include: roundtrip coach airfare, one night of hotel in business class hotel, meals, and ground transportation to and from campus.

Speaking Engagements Available for Bidding:

Shawn Decker & Gwenn Barringer
HIV/Sexual Health program
http://www.shawnandgwenn.com/
Value $3300
Min. Bid $500
Restrictions: Unavailable Nov. 28-Dec. 31, 2011 and February 12-18, 2012.

Paul Jones "BiPolar Boy"
"It's all mental" - Mental Health Program
http://www.bipolarboy.com/
Value $3,000
Min. Bid $500
Restrictions: Must book by 12/31/2011 for a date during the remaining
2011-2012 academic year. May not be applied to existing bookings.
Institution is responsible for travel/lodging of $750. Additional
travel fees may apply depending on location.

Sally Spencer-Thomas
Mental Health/Suicide Prevention/Hope
http://www.campuspeak.com/speakers/spencer-thomas/
Value $2,500
Min. Bid $500
Restrictions: Only for use at a BACCHUS area conference. Unavailable
February 22-24, April 17-22, & May 17-20 during 2012.

Sean Heffron
Leadership, motivational speaking - various topics
Value $700
Min. Bid $250
Restrictions: Unable to speak during January 2012 and some spring
weekends TBD once the baseball schedule is finalized (Sean coaches
college baseball).

Meghan Rothschild
Sun safety/skin cancer program
http://SurvivingSkin.org
Value $1000
Min. Bid $500
Restrictions: Check with Meghan for availability.

Brent Scarpo (3 speaking engagements available!)
"The Last Call" AOD program
http://brentscarpo.com
Value $3,000
Min. Bid $500
Restrictions: For use between November 2011-November 2012. UNAVAILABLE:
Jan. 20-22, 2012; Feb. 28; March 1-15 & 26-31. Contact brent@brentscarpo.com for availability and booking.

More Wellness, Less Waste: BACCHUS Goes Green

As you may have noticed, The BACCHUS Network has become more “green” over the past few months. The Sexual Responsibility Week and Safe Spring Break campaigns were delivered electronically. The Peer Educator™ magazine is now an online, interactive publication. BACCHUS monthly updates and the quarterly newsletter from your Student Advisory Committee member arrived in your email box using Constant Contact. A paper version of the annual charter renewal form was not mailed out this year but is available to be filled out quickly and easily on the BACCHUS website.

You, our members, have encouraged us to reduce our use of paper and we listened. The response from our Network has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, we have had one of the highest early return rates of charter renewal forms in our history.

Because it has been so well received, you will be seeing more electronic delivery of BACCHUS materials and communications including information about General Assembly registration, call for programs, and awards applications, and NCAAW campaign materials. Be sure you are receiving these timely notifications by

• Renewing your BACCHUS affiliation so your current email address is in our database
• Subscribe to the BACCHUS Twitter feed
• Join the BACCHUS Facebook Fan Page
• Subscribe to the BACCHUS listserv
• If you have not been receiving our communications, contact admin@bacchusnetwork.org and we can offer suggestions to assist you

You can view back issues of our BACCHUS e-newsletters on our website.

If you have opted-out from our Constant Contact e-newsletter and would like to receive it again, please email ann@bacchusnetwork.org for instructions on how to re-subscribe.

Five Super Easy Outreach Programs for the End of Fall

We have passed the halfway point of the Fall term. Finals and the holidays are fast approaching. Your peer educators are exhausted from all the programs they have implemented and need to catch up on course work; yet, promoting healthy decisions to the student body is even more important at this time of year. Here are five quick programming ideas that do not take a lot of time, people power, or funding.

Stress Busters

You can feel the tension rising on campus as it gets closer to finals. Everyone is talking about being stressed. Spread the word on how to reduce stress through social media. Have your peer educators brainstorm ways to reduce stress and take turns posting them on Facebook, Twitter, and your campus website. Have a little more time? Create a video of stress relieving breathing exercises and post it to YouTube.

Impaired Driving Prevention

Holidays are a high-risk time for driving under the influence. Create a holiday pledge for students to sign and promise to not drink and drive, let friends drink and drive, or ride with an impaired driver. Print the pledge and distribute in the residence halls and student center, or create a group or fan page on Facebook. Develop your own pledge or use the following: This holiday season, I give my friends and myself the gift of life. I pledge to not drink and drive, ride with an impaired driver, let my friends drink and drive or ride with an impaired driver, and to always wear my seatbelt. If your peer educators have the time and energy, have them serve BAC-tails, delicious non-alcoholic drinks, in the student center and invite students to sign the pledge.

Managing Money

As first year students approach the completion of three months or more of living away from home, many may realize that they have not done well with managing their money. Growing credit card debt along with shrinking savings may be causing stress. Partner with a finance faculty member or your campus banking institution to develop a bookmark of money management tips. Have the bookmarks available at the bookstore, library, and ATMs.

Healthy Holiday Eating

Many students are looking forward to home cooking and a break from dining hall food or cooking for themselves. Holiday celebrations and parties may temp students to over indulge in their favorite foods. Publish a list of your peer educators’ favorite tips for healthy eating over the holidays on your website, in your “Potty Press,” or on table tents and place them in the dining hall.

New Year’s Resolutions

The New Year, and new academic term, is a great time to make a behavior change for health. Encourage students to begin planning before January 1^st about how they will make the change, such as quitting smoking, beginning an exercise program, or managing money better. Create a planning worksheet using the Stages of Change model. Ask students to write down

• What are the good things and the not-so-good things about the behavior they want to change?
• What would be different in their life if they change the behavior?
• Who would support them in the process to make this change?
• What is one thing they can do before January 1, 2011 that will help them get ready to make the change? For example, picking up a quit kit from your office or contacting the campus recreation center about spring exercise classes.

Provide a list of campus and community resources that will help students develop their healthy habits. If students are willing to provide an email address, your peer educators can follow up with them at the beginning of the new academic term to provide motivation and resources to continue the efforts to become healthier.

Students may not have time to attend programs at this time of year, but they will appreciate receiving timely health promotion tips to get them to the end of the school term and position them for a great holiday break. If your peer education group has a quick and easy program, please share it by commenting on this blog.

Staying Healthy: Fuel for School!

By Tiffany Mathews, Keene State College
BACCHUS Maine State Coordinator

Eating well in college is not only important, it's also easy. By following these five nutrition tips, you can fuel your body with the essential nutrients it needs to keep up with your busy schedule.

Tip #1- Choose natural and unprocessed foods such as veggies, fruit, wraps and sandwiches made with whole grain breads. Eat locally whenever possible to get the most nutrients for your money.

Tip #2- Limit salt, sugar, and fat intake by choosing fresh foods that are served raw, broiled, baked, or stir fried.

Tip #3- Increase water consumption by getting into the habit of carrying around a bottle of water and sipping on it throughout the day. You can add fruit juice or fresh fruit to your water to give it a different taste. A rule of thumb is to drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water each day, however you can also increase your water intake by consuming fruit and veggies, which are usually good sources of water.

Tip#4- Know the nutrition facts. Read the labels on foods you eat. Notice the differences of nutrients among foods and keep an eye on the ingredients list. Choose foods with a short list of ingredients to ensure that you are getting a natural source of energy.

Tip #5- Eat small meals throughout the day to keep you energized. Eating foods high in vitamins, minerals, and whole grains will help you sustain your energy. Balance your plate with 50% fruits and veggies, 25% protein, and 25% whole grains to keep you going.

For more information about eating well, visit the American Dietetics Association website at www.eatright.org.

Five Tips for Great Classroom Presentations

As peer education advisors, peer educators, and health educators, we want to be asked by faculty to present on collegiate health and safety issues. Classroom presentations provide outreach to students, increase awareness of services available on campus, and are a great peer educator recruitment tool. These presentations can also be challenging. Fifty-minutes is not a lot of time to thoroughly cover many health issues.

Rachel Billowitz, MPH (Rachel.Billowitz@nau.edu), a health sciences lecturer at Northern Arizona University, suggests the following tips to increase the effectiveness of one-time presentations to classes. These were originally posted to the HEDIR Listserv in regards to sexual health presentations and are reprinted here with permission.

1. If possible, try to ask the instructor for two class periods, so you are not trying to condense all the content into one.

2. Ask the students to do the reading prior to your presentation so they are familiar with the content.

3. Work with the class instructor to solicit anonymous questions from the students about the topics. Small squares of paper collected in an envelope work just fine. Obtain those questions before the presentation, and tailor your presentation to address the unique concerns of that student group.

4. Do not try to focus on delivering a large amount of factual information in the presentation. Instead, consider focusing your presentation on activities that ask the students to apply the knowledge gained from the reading to real-world scenarios to help facilitate skill building. For example, put students into groups of three and ask them to: brainstorm factors a heterosexual couple should consider when selecting a birth control method; brainstorm ways to negotiate condom use; brainstorm ways to give and get consent in a fun/ sexy way, etc.

5. Connect students with online resources that can link them to medically accurate sexual [or other] health information. Several sites have functions that allow people to ask questions anonymously and a health educator posts the answers within a day or two. An excellent site is the Go Ask Alice site from Columbia.

Thank you to Rachel for these great tips. Do you have any additional tips for classroom presentations? Share your tips with others by posting them as a comment to this article.