Episode 2: Mocktail Mondays at the Learning Bar

In this episode, Callie and Sara discuss Mocktail Mondays at the Learning Bar. The Learning Bar is a place on UK's campus where students can gather and socialize, while also learning about the responsible use of alcohol.

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Hello,
I'm Callie and I'm Sara.
And this is Community
Spotlight with Callie and Sara.
We are students in the College
and Career Studies Program at UK.
This radio segment will spotlight
different things
in the local community each week.
Thank you for listening.

(00:30):
This week,
the community spotlight
is about an event
that happens on UK’s campus.
The event is called Mocktail Mondays
and is part of the power program at UK.
Power stands for Prevention,
Outreach and Wellness
Education Resources,
which is a program of the Office

(00:51):
for Student Success
at the University of Kentucky.
Okay, so Callie,
what event
did you attend this week on campus?
Mocktail hour at the Learning Bar.
Where was that located?
Inside the Boone Center on UK’s campus.
What was the Mocktail
Monday's event like?

(01:11):
You go in and they have free popcorn
and free mocktails
and you talk to people.
Oh, yeah,
they had different kinds of popcorn too.
Some of it was spicy.
I didn't try that.
Do you remember
what was in the mocktails?
I don't.
I remember that
there was pineapple juice. Oh, yeah.

(01:32):
It definitely
tasted like pineapple juice.
And the color of the mocktail was very
much like the color shirt
you were wearing.
I remember that.
Yeah.
The mocktails were green.
Yes.
So who was there?
Who came to the event?
Students at UK.
Did you feel that

(01:52):
the space was accessible?
Did you feel that it was welcoming?
It was very easy for people to go in.
The theme was about alcohol education
on campus.
How did they share the information
and what information did they share?
Alcohol poisoning signs like vomiting

(02:14):
– students might get alcohol
and pass out
and the students
with alcohol poisoning might get cold
and clammy and blue skin.
The information was written on a card.
There was also a mocktail
recipe on the card.
Now let's go to Sara for a quick
summary of the information

(02:35):
about Mocktail Mondays.
Our spotlight
for this week has been Mocktail Mondays.
This happens on Mondays
at a place
called the Learning Bar,
which is inside the Boone Center.
The theme is about alcohol
education on campus.
They serve mocktail's,
play music, have snacks,
and have tables and chairs

(02:57):
set up for people to socialize.
With your mocktail,
you get an information card.
On one side,
it has the recipe for the mocktail
they served
in case you want to make it later.
The mocktail for this week was called,
“My friends call me Bowman.”
On the other
side of the card
is educational information about alcohol.
This week

(03:17):
it was information
about the signs of alcohol poisoning
and what to do if you see them.
Thank you.
You’re welcome.
So what's the difference
between a cocktail and a mocktail?
Mocktaills are like cocktails
but they did not have alcohol in them.
Indeed, but they are delicious.
Yeah.
It was called

(03:38):
“My friends call me Bowman.” Bowman
being the Wildcat statue at UK.
Yes.
Mocktails though can have
all the other
same ingredients as a cocktail
without having alcohol in them.
Mocktails are getting more popular

(04:00):
in recent years.
There are even some bars
that only sell mocktails
and other nonalcoholic drinks for people
who want to go out and socialize,
but who do not want to be around
people who are drinking alcohol.
What do you think about this?
What might be the benefits
of a mocktail bar versus a regular bar?

(04:20):
And who might be interested in going?
I think a bar that sells
only nonalcoholic drinks is a great idea.
Mocktail bars would be great
because they would allow people
not to drink alcohol
but still socialize at a bar setting.
Anyone who doesn't want to drink
or be around others
who are drinking
alcohol may be interested in going.

(04:43):
Agreed.
Here is a question
related to this event
and what they are doing
at the learning bar?
What does it mean to have a party?
Like,
do you think that you can have a party
without alcohol?
Some people like to go to parties
without alcohol.
Parents won’t
let their children drink alcohol

(05:03):
if they are underage.
All true.
All true. Yes.
So, Sarah,
what does it mean in your view?
What does it mean to have a party?
Having a party is
where people get
together to socialize
or celebrate something.
You can definitely have a great party
without alcohol.

(05:23):
What are some things
that you
personally like to do at parties?
What do you think is
fun to do at a party?
Listen to music.
I agree
that music is a big deal at parties.
What were they playing when we were there
at the learning bar?
Disney music.
Yeah.
They were playing a soundtrack

(05:44):
of a bunch of songs from Disney movies.
Yes.
And you knew exactly which song
within like
5 seconds of any new song
starting,
you immediately
knew what song it was, who sang it,
what movie it was from.
That was kind of fun.
It was a nice conversation starter.
Yeah.
My idea of a good party

(06:05):
is getting together
with a group of friends or family
and having food and usually
some fun games
and maybe some music that isn’t too loud
because
there are people like me
whose ears don't really do well with
very suddenly

(06:26):
loud noises.
How might you think of universal design
when it comes to parties?
Like, what are some considerations
that would make a social gathering
welcome and inclusive
for all who wish to attend?
When someone is planning for a party,
they make sure that people who get around
in different

(06:46):
ways can access the location.
Also, remember
that music
might be too loud for some people.
I went to listen to music
one time at a place
that offered ear plugs
to everyone
when they brought their ticket.
That was a great option
and it's a great option
because then it's
like they can hang out there
and not have to worry about

(07:07):
their eardrums being ringing their ears
every time they go to events like that
when that's an option.
Yeah, that's a really good point.
And it is interesting too,
because it doesn't have to do
with whether or not you like
loud styles of music, because I know
you enjoy loud styles of music,
but if the volume is particularly high,

(07:28):
you might use something to reduce that
so that you can enjoy it, right?
Yeah.
So what was your favorite
part of the mocktail hour?
I liked the mocktail.
It was so good
and not anything with alcohol.
I agree.
It also matched your shirt
and it matched your nails.
Yes.
It’s so comfortable to sit and stand

(07:51):
and walk around –
it was easy
for people to have fun and it was cool.
Cool. I agree.
Do you think you’ll attend
another mocktail hour in the future?
Yes I will and party all night long.
I believe it. Always.
Thank you very much.

(08:12):
If you are the one who is driving,
don't immediately
start driving after you've had
an alcoholic drink,
even if it's just been one shot or one
glass of it.
I think that's wise advice.
Our world would be better off without

(08:32):
drunk driving being the issue that it is
because it still continues
to be an issue in today's world.
True.
And that starts with
those people being properly educated.
This initiative of the Learning Bar
and Mocktail Mondays,
which is part of the organization
called Power, at UK.

(08:52):
That's one of the things they want to do
is educate people on
things about alcohol.
So that I think it's a good initiative
for people who want to be more
educated about it.
And so that's wise
advice that you gave that.
And it's true
that a lot of times
when people make any kind of human error,
which we all do,
it is often education
that can turn that around.

(09:13):
So that's a good point.
Well, thank you
all for talking to me about this,
and I look forward to more conversations
in the future.
All right. Thank you. You are welcome.
Our spotlight
for the week has been
Mocktail Mondays.
Mocktail Mondays
is an initiative of Power at UK.

(09:34):
Power stands for Prevention, Outreach
and Wellness Education Resources,
which is a program of the Office
for Student Success
at the University of Kentucky.
This has been
a community spotlight
with Callie and Sara.
Thank you for listening.