BySusan HaineSenior Staff Writer
If you walk into the office of Student-to-Student Director LouiseStanger, you are bound to notice dozens of plaques on the walls.
But until yesterday, the award-winning program was facingcancellation due to budget cuts in the School of Social Work.
It costs the school between $20,000 and $26,000 each year to keepthe program alive, and on Feb. 20, the program was canceled.
Jack Beresford, director of Marketing and Communications, said thefinances of the program will now be moved under the division ofStudent Affairs.
“When I heard the program was being cut, I decided to look for away to keep the program going,” Vice President of Student AffairsJames Kitchen said. “We’re not yet sure of how the transition isgoing to be.”
For the last 14 years, Student-to-Student has been a part of theSan Diego State community. Students in the organization work toeducate their peers about alcohol and drug use, date rape, safe sexand even academic achievement.
Specifically, the group works with athletes, freshmen and membersof the greek system. Members develop brochures for students and haveeven published a “little black book,” which contains important SDSUphone numbers as well as room for students to record their owncontacts.
“Basically, we focus on all of student life,” Eric Macias, theorganization’s president, said. “In a way, we’re ambassadors, withoutgoing through the school’s ambassador program.”
On Tuesday, the group won an award for being an outstandingcommunity leader from Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Although the program faced cancellation, students involved withthe organization were determined not to let it die.
“If it were canceled, something would be regenerated to reflectstudent voice,” Stanger said.
Director of the School of Social Work Anita Harbert would notreturn calls from The Daily Aztec to explain why the program waschosen to be cut.
According to the Student-to-Student Fact Sheet, the group haspresented to more than 7,000 students this year.
This week, Student-to-Student tabled in Aztec Center with GreeksAdvocating Mature Management of Alcohol to promote safety duringSpring Break. The organizations gave out fliers, plastic Hawaiianleis with condoms attached, cab company call cards and free alcoholtests for students to keep in their wallets.
Student-to-Student is now looking into collaborating with otherSan Diego universities to develop phone cards and phone books tocontain important numbers students can call in case of an emergency.
“Students who are part of the organization may have experiencedalcohol abuse firsthand, either with their families, friends orthemselves,” Stanger said. “Student-to-Student is a place where theycan come and have a part of a new beginning.”
