Over the past week, The Daily Evergreen facilitated a conversation amongst WSU administrators, faculty, students, and community members. Last night we concluded the series Cougs Under the Influence: Liquor, Laws and Learning with a panel discussion aimed at sparking a real discussion.

Our reasoning behind putting on this entire series with a community panel capstone was to teach, engage and reach out to those affected by the drug and alcohol culture that has formed here at WSU.

The panel was headed by leading voices in the WSU and Pullman community: WSU President Elson S. Floyd, Health and Wellness Executive Director Bruce Wright, Pullman ER Director Stacey Aggabao, WSU Police Chief Bill Gardner, ASWSU President Taylor Hennessey, Alcohol Task Force Member Bob Cady, Substance Abuse Prevention Expert Stacey Hust, and Director of WSU Counseling and Testing Services Cassandra Nichols. Our own Evergreen Editor-in-Chief Christine Rushton moderated.

The eight-member panel introduced themselves to the audience and offered their unique and insightful views on alcohol, the law and the perceptions pertaining to the greater Pullman area.

Panelists shared their personal expertise about the psychology, the research, the culture, and the efforts that have been and are continuing to be made to educate students. Myths and media perceptions were also addressed, as panelists engaged in an active and constructive dialogue amongst themselves and the audience.

The most lauded and consistently referenced concept was the notion of ‘Cougs helping Cougs.’ It’s important that we work to educate not only ourselves but those around us. We must assist those who are in need and work together to facilitate progression toward a better understanding of when to step in.

Throughout the course of the evening, the audience was actively engaged and offered questions, comments and anecdotes of their own to the panelists. Audience members offered up suggestions for alumni engagement, community outreach and more extensive academic relevance.

But we are not done here. Not only do we wish to continue the conversation concerning drugs and alcohol, The Daily Evergreen hopes to in the future sponsor more series, more panels and bring to light more topics that impact students.

The staff at The Daily Evergreen hopes to consistently be the eyes, ears and voice of the people we work diligently to represent. We hope to investigate the truth and bring it for all that it is to our readers.

Thank you for following along and for contributing to the discussion. Keep the conversation. Keep the change.

-Positions taken in staff editorials are usually determined by a majority vote of the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board consists of: Editor-in-chief Christine Rushton, Managing Editor Calley Hair, News Editor Adanna Escobar and Opinion Editor Joel Freeborn. Contact editors at [email protected] to respond or suggest an editorial topic.