By Ashley Miller
Writer
Since 2000, CHOICE has provided its members with substance-free housing and non-alcoholic activities during the semester.
CHOICE (Choosing Healthy Options in Community Environments) includes students from diverse backgrounds who share a common desire of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. First-years and upperclassmen alike can participate in CHOICE.
“Something that many people may not know is that CHOICE has more than 300 members, which is a little less than 10 percent of campus,” said Rushtin Chaklader ’11, CHOICE Student Program Assistant (SPA).
Many first-year students say CHOICE helps them avoid the pressure to drink.
“It gives you a great opportunity that if you want to avoid [alcohol], it’s easier to avoid it,” Julie Uptegraff ’14 said. Uptegraff said many CHOICE members go to the campus-sponsored alcohol-free events.
The organization has sponsored its own alcohol-free campus events, including capture the flag, a back-to-school barbeque and a semi-formal dance.
“We have an events almost every weekend, which are open to the entire campus,” Chaklader said. “The events are a great alternative to the party scene at Bucknell, and always offer something fun to do if you don’t want to go to a party.”
CHOICE members also participate in off-campus activities as a group, like bowling or trips to Reptiland. Uptegraff says her favorite CHOICE activity was the corn maze. “It’s a tradition so it’s exciting as a freshman to take part of all the traditions,” she said.
CHOICE members, or as they’re fondly called, CHOICErs, often take part in hall or group bonding activities. Some of these are seasonal, such as the Halloween hall decorating contest. CHOICE is also helping to organize a campus-wide door decorating contest, hoping to include other students in their activities.
“CHOICE is also a very tight-knit community, and it is not uncommon for everyone in a CHOICE hall to know each other by name and hang out with each other,” Chaklader said.
Most CHOICE members live together on one of the CHOICE residence halls, either in Larison for first-years or Kress for upperclassmen. Members commit to making these halls substance-free. “It’s sort of like a res college were you get to live with people who share common ground,” Uptegraff said.
CHOICE gives its members a lot of freedom. The only requirement is that members are healthy and respectful. “It gives us opportunity to do anything on campus but have a safe environment to come home to,” Uptegraff said.
