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FRIENDS EXHIBIT TO OPEN AT SUNY DELHI
Exhibit Portrays the Unintended Consequences of Drinking and Driving

DELHI, NY … An exhibit that poignantly portrays the unintended consequences of drinking and driving will be on display on the SUNY Delhi campus from February 25 to April 2, 2008. “Friends–One Day, One Wrong Turn” honors the lives of four college students who were killed as a result of a drunken-driving accident on the Colgate campus in Hamilton on November 11, 2000.

“Viewing this exhibit can be a very personal experience for students,” said Mary Wake, assistant director of counseling services at SUNY Delhi. “The exhibit gives them the opportunity to step into the lives of students who made choices that resulted in a tragic situation. The situation also touches close to home since the accident happened at a college not far from here, and our students really respond to the fact that one of the parents involved is a Delhi alumnus.”

The exhibition focuses on the lives of the four passengers who died as a result of the crash—Katie Almeter, Emily Collins, Kevin King and Rachel Nargiso. Their story is told through physical artifacts such as family photo albums and the victim’s possessions, interviews with the victims’ friends and families, police documents, video footage, and audio clips. A timeline traces the events of the victims’ last day, including a detailed account of the crash itself.

According to Wake, the approach has a powerful effect on those who view the exhibit. “Its main purpose is to show high school and college-age students how quickly their lives can change from a night of drinking and driving, but it has a message to all of us about the consequences of our actions, and how our decisions can alter not only our lives, but the lives of our friends and families.”

The Friends Exhibit will be open in the Back Alley Lounge of Farrell Hall February 25-29, daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from March 3 –April 2, Mondays from 12 noon to 7 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday, 12 noon to 5 p.m. Student groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and may arrange for alternate viewing times by calling SUNY Delhi Counseling and Health Services at (607) 746-4690.

The Friends Exhibit was brought to the SUNY Delhi campus through the efforts of the college's Division of Student Life, in particular the AOD (Alcohol and Other Drug) Prevention Task Force and Counseling Services. Campus and community sponsors include the Delaware County Stop DWI Program, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County, The Kiwanis Club of Delhi, Inc., and Binghamton Coffee.

To learn more about “Friends–One Day, One Wrong Turn,” visit https://people.sunyit.edu/~lhmi/Friends/.

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