On Tuesday, Sept. 30, Student Life hosted “Alcohol Awareness Jeopardy with Mocktails” in room 218 of the Smith University Center. Among those in attendance were Michael W. Smith, Student Conduct Coordinator, Dominik Khilji, Student Life specialist for student engagement, and Azayvya Wright, a junior elementary education major who served as the host.
Approximately a dozen students came out to join and participate in the event. Although the event was set to begin at 5:30 p.m., it didn’t officially begin until 6:07 p.m. to wait for more students to arrive. Unfortunately, it seemed that a few of the students were unaware of when the event would begin.
“We had a hard time advertising for the event,” said Khilji.
This was in reference to the threat of the impending storm, Imelda. It was unclear whether or not the university would be cancelled, making it difficult to display announcements. However, the effects were only minimal, with some minor rainfall and wind.
Two types of mocktails were served: pineapple-orange juice and cranberry-orange juice, the latter proving to be a crowd favorite.
Once the students were settled, four teams were created, Hot Cheetos, Nacho Cheese Doritos, Voodoo Chips and Fantastic Three, whose trio was the last to arrive and was not notified of the apparent chip theme. The jeopardy match featured five categories: Your Body on Alcohol, Booze and the Law, Drink Smart, Alcohol and Science and Myth or Fact.
The first team to play was chosen based on age and given to Fantastic Three, whose youngest member was 18-years-old. The category was Myth or Fact, “You can fail a breathalyzer the morning after drinking alcohol.” The Voodoo Chips answered this correctly, stating that this is in fact true. Studies show that alcohol can stay on a person’s breath for 12-24 hours, even after the effects of intoxication have worn off. Factors such as the amount of alcohol consumed, time of consumption, body weight, metabolism and gender all affect how long alcohol stays in the system and is detectable by a breathalyzer the next morning.
Another question asked was how long it takes for the liver to process one standardized drink per hour.
“Oh, I must’ve messed that one up, the answer is right there! That one’s on me!” said Khilji in amusement.
One of the trickier questions was to provide the molecular formula of ethanol, which is C2H5OH. C2 represents two carbon elements, H5 represented five hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon atoms, and OH is the hydroxyl group, a functional group that makes the compound an alcohol. The presence of this group is what gives ethanol its specific properties.
By the conclusion of the game, the scores were:
- Voodoo Chips: 8,600
- Fantastic Three: 4,200
- Hot Cheetos: 3,600
- Nacho Cheese Doritos: 400
The top two teams won T-shirts, wrapping the event up at 6:48 p.m. This was an incredibly fun and educational event, helping students better understand the effects and risks of alcohol while enjoying a lively competition. For questions about this event and others, please contact Dominik Khilji via email at dominik.khilji@fmarion.edu or visit FMU’s event calendar.