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EMpower Clemson Director Kathy Cauthen, center, addresses Clemson University students during a flag football game last fall. Students from ClemsonÕs EMpower Clemson program and Georgia TechÕs GT SMART will team up to promote tailgating safety during EMpower Blitz Weekend Oct. 17-18.

CLEMSON — College football tailgating can easily segue into bacchanalia, but Clemson University students want safety in the mix too. EMpower Clemson, a student driven coalition, is using a home game weekend to promote responsible alcohol use.

The theme? “Look Out for Your Tailgate Neighbors.”

Clemson graduate student Allison Toney said EMpower’s peer-to-peer approach makes it more viable than preachy programming.

“You value your friends and their opinions and what they think about you,” said Toney, a Columbia native.

In a college town, campus and community are forever linked in regards to alcohol safety. Since tailgating is a vital part of the Clemson experience, Saturday’s Georgia Tech game provided EMpower with the best chance to broadcast its message, Toney said.

“Football is such a part of school spirit and tradition. Tailgating is a really long day, and if you have a plan you can definitely make a change. We want Clemson to become a benchmark for other schools to emulate,” Toney said.

This weekend, EMpower is charging Clemson tailgaters with six tenets: get to know your tailgate neighbors; call for help if you see someone in trouble; if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation; be aware if someone has had too much to drink; make a plan for getting home safely; and clean your tailgate area.

Things kick off Friday with a proclamation from Clemson Mayor Larry Abernathy at 1 p.m. at City Hall. Clemson students will join Abernathy in proclaiming the day EMpower Day in Clemson.

On Saturday, EMpower is collaborating with GT SMART (Students Managing Alcohol Risk at Tech) for EMpower Blitz Tailgate, starting at 9 a.m. at Littlejohn Coliseum. The event includes music from local jam band Picture Me Free, games, giveaways and a performance from the Kappa Alpha Psi step team.

Michael Lussier, a CU sophomore and chairman of EMpower, said the partnership with Georgia Tech made sense.

“The message of EMpower Clemson, ‘be responsible,’ does not just apply to one situation or group of people; it relates to everyone,” Lussier said. “By partnering with Georgia Tech, we are able to share the EMpower Clemson message, learn from Georgia Tech and work together to create a theme that can spread further than just our campus.”

Last year, 275 alcohol related arrests and citations took place on the Clemson campus, according to CU Police Chief Johnson Link. During the same time period, over 1,000 Clemson students participated in EMpower events, including safe spring break programming and flag football games.

EMpower Clemson Director Kathy Cauthen wants to help preserve Clemson’s family atmosphere.

“We want folks to take the time to make a plan to get home safely,” said Cauthen, who is also a health educator at Clemson. “Whether you drink in moderation or not at all, safety is just as much a concern.”

EMpower has come a long way from its humble origins, when a group of Clemson students presented the idea to Cauthen in the Redfern Health Center basement.

In 2007, Clemson Vice President for Student Affairs Gail DiSabatino made EMpower an official office.

“It was student centered from the start,” Cauthen said.

For more information on EMpower Clemson, contact Kathy Cauthen at (656) 656-3053.