DANBURY, CONN. — Away from home and faced with new challenges, some college students make the wrong choices — especially when it comes to alcohol and other substances.

On Wednesday, June 23, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., some 12 to 15 students from Western Connecticut State University will help bring a new awareness to campus by filming a video of real students facing real situations.

Three 5-minute vignettes written by students will be performed at various locations including the Haas library, the Midtown campus quad, Double Twister ice cream shop on White Street and in dormitory settings. The scenarios are real, although circumstances have been changed so as not to embarrass anyone, and were suggested by students. WCSU junior Samantha Tuozzolo wrote the original scripts for “Freshman Year Alcohol,” “Pot on Campus,” and “Finals Week and ADD Meds.” The stories will be performed by members of WestConn’s Center Stage Players, a student theater club.

Funded by a federal grant issued by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the program is co-sponsored by Connecticut Turning to Youth and Families, a non-profit organization in Meriden.

Sharon Guck, coordinator of the campus Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program, said that the project goal is to have the video viewed by 75 percent of the student population at WestConn. The video will be shown on campus in the fall and it will be posted on the Internet and on a screen on the campus shuttle bus. She is hopeful that the message will be especially strong with the incoming freshman class.

“Most students who abuse substances and go to the hospital from campus are freshmen,” Guck said. “This year we had a big increase with 22 students – that’s up from seven and 11 from the previous two years.”

Guck said that the video’s scenarios will offer choices that students can make, such as from going to see a movie with friends rather than going to party where there will be drinking.

“This is a time in your life where you have to make difficult choices,” Guck said. “That’s why this video is written for students by students — they’ll get the message.”

For more information, contact Guck at (203) 837-8899.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.