BACCHUS Conducts “Funeral” to Raise Awareness about Alcohol Abuse

On April 13, Caldwell College students eating lunch in the cafeteria and relaxing in the student center lounge witnessed an unusual event on a college campus: a funeral procession. Organized by the school’s BACCHUS (Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students) chapter and members of Tau Delta Phi Fraternity, the “fake funeral” served as a tribute to college students across the country who died this year from alcohol abuse.

With the assistance of Galante Funeral Home of Caldwell, students carried a coffin through a suddenly silent cafeteria at the height of lunch hour. Father Al Berner, Chaplain, concluded the “funeral” with a remembrance prayer.

“We wanted to give students a visual reminder about how dangerous drinking could be,” said Ashleigh Grenci, president of BACCHUS. “We wanted to encourage responsible drinking.”

Under the direction of advisor Sister Deborah Lynch, BACCHUS is an alcohol awareness and abuse prevention program, promoting responsible decisions about the use of alcoholic beverages among college students. The organization joined forces with several on- and off-campus groups to make this event as realistic and powerful as possible, including Galante Funeral Home, Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department, Tau Delta Phi Fraternity, the Martial Arts Club, Delta Phi Epislon and Kappa Beta Gamma.

Students who got involved included: Ashleigh Grenci, Kristalyn Ianniello, Ashley Dennis, Danielle David, Joseph Matthews, Alexandria Pascucci and Francesco Guagliardi.

“It took a lot of planning and work from everyone,” added Grenci. “This would not have happened without them.”