LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- "Be-Wise-Er" when it comes to drinking will be the message given to students during Rider's annual campus-wide observance of Alcohol Awareness Week, slated for Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 16.

The program's intent is to advocate responsible drinking for students who choose to drink and are of legal age, and to increase awareness of the dangers of alcohol abuse and drunk driving.

The week's keynote presentation will be given by former Johnson and Wales student Mark Sterner, on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Student Center Theater on Rider's Lawrenceville campus. Sterner's program, titled "DUI: A Sober Lesson," details a tragic evening during spring break when he was responsible for the death of three fraternity brothers in a drunk-driving accident. The presentation features video taken by the students throughout the course of the evening, including footage in the automobile just prior to the crash.

Comedienne Wendi Fox will offer a more lighthearted approach to the subject on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Student Center Theater, as she shares her thoughts, experiences, and personal opinions on how alcohol abuse has become a national catastrophe. Alcohol Aware Comedy is part of Fox's Alcohol Insanity Tour of colleges and clubs, and is drawn from her experience of being raised in an alcoholic environment.

Open class periods from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday will allow students to do their part to heighten alcohol awareness. On Tuesday, students in Daly's and the Student Center will have the opportunity to sign a pledge to drink responsibly. Participants will be entered in a drawing for a non-alcoholic basket of cheer. Thursday will feature the fourth annual Walk To Save A Life around the Campus Mall. The walk has raised more than $2,000 for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) since its inception.

As in past programs, there will be several giveaways and prizes throughout the week, as well as programs in individual residence halls each night.

Rider University's Lawrenceville campus is located five miles south of Princeton and three miles north of Trenton on Route 206 in Lawrence Township, NJ. The campus is one-half mile south of exit 7A of Interstate 95.