On Saturday Feb. 13, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) held their annual “It’s a Slam Dunk Don’t Drink and Drive” Campaign. This campaign is usually during the first or second weekend in February. Every team in the NSIC that plays at home during that time collects signatures from attendants pledging not to drink and drive.

This campaign was started in honor of Drake Biglar who was the son of SMSU head basketball coach Brad Bigler. Drake’s life was cut tragically short on a Saturday night in July 2012 when a drunk driver swerved into oncoming traffic causing the accident that claimed his life.

“There will be eight games going on that Saturday, and all eight games are recognizing that it’s a slam dunk,” Biglar said, “so it’s a pretty big deal because you are touching sixteen universities all of which sign a pledge not to drink and drive.”

Biglar admits that it is difficult to judge whether the campaign makes a difference or not, but that it is more about raising awareness.

“When you’re trying to change something of this magnitude, I think that it’s more about providing an awareness,” Biglar said. “As far as making changes, it’s hard to judge that.”

Each campus collects a fair amount of pledges which helps bring this issue to the attention of students.

“At the college level you have kids at that age of their lives where they’re usually a bit more risk taking,” Biglar said, “and anytime that you can have a moment to educate them about their decision making is a good thing.”    

Biglar also said that next year they will make an effort to have other conferences join the campaign so that the message can reach a wider audiance.

“It’s something that we’re going to continue to grow over time,” Bigler said.