Scribble Party

Advertisements for the event were handed out by its organizers during the week (design by Melaina Chapman).

Last night UOW celebrated the end of session by scribbling on t-shirts and walls with textas.

The idea was developed by eight first-year Commerce students majoring in Events Management. The aptly named ‘Scribble Party’ was part of a final assessment for the students. Melissa Colless, one of the organisers of the event says over 200 pre-sale tickets were sold, with many more sold on the night.

Local bands The Bungalows, Penny & The Mystics and DJ Weasel played for the event, with ‘a lot of people coming from the Illawarra and Nowra area to support the local bands,’ says Colless.

The over 18s event sponsored by Jim Beam advertised for students to ‘wear white and bring textas’, with the goal to be ‘the most crazily scribbled’ upon.

“People wrote random quotes, funny drawings, personal comments from friends. It was great seeing people having fun and telling us they loved it,” says Colless.

A 10 year study published in 2010 showed that in nearly all demographics, binge drinking and high-risk alcohol consumption has been increasing steadily. The study also revealed that males and females in the 18-24 age range who drank at a high risk level were more exposed to physiological and psychological distress, and had a higher mortality rate than those who drank more moderately.

Drinking is dominant in university culture, and it is wise for students to decide their approach to this aspect of their social lives, and set limits and boundaries before an event.

Alcohol has become so ingrained into Australian culture that drunkenness is often encouraged and celebrated— and the effect of this is clear: Alcohol is the main cause of death on Australian roads and the second-largest cause of drug related deaths and hospitalizations (after tobacco) in Australia.

UniCentre encourages responsible drinking and provides services (such as transportation) to ensure safety. The Scribble Party was “a great experience” for Colless, and the end of session event was incident free and a unique finish to the semester.