According to a 2009 survey conducted by the University’s Institute for Research on Women and Gender, 46.3 percent of all University students participated in binge drinking.

There are various types of students on campus, some who drink heavily, some who are experimenting with alcohol for the first time and others who are in recovery or don’t drink at all for other reasons, according to Desprez.

“People come in varying degrees of having a relationship with whether they drink or not,” she said. “So, our job is to have a comprehensive approach that meets students wherever they’re at.”

Jennifer Cervi, president of Students for Recovery, said the group’s 20 core members try to promote a healthier, alcohol free lifestyle on campus.

“Basically, our whole initiative is to provide an alternative and to provide sober events at campus,” she said. “We’ve had things like sober cycle rallies, coffee struts, we’ve had dances, we’ve had a monthly yoga night. Our whole promotion is to provide a sober alternative on campus.”

The group tries to assist individuals who are recovering from alcoholism, as well as those who simply choose to abstain from alcohol, and with reasonable success — nearly 200 people have attended several of the organization’s events, according to Cervi.

“Speaking as somebody that’s in recovery on campus, we’re kind of inundated with things like pub crawls and keggers and just a constant social pressure that’s all there is on campus,” Cervi said. “We’re totally okay with that, but basically we wanted to provide an alternative as well so people would have things to do on Friday nights and in campus life.”

For those who do choose to consume alcohol, AODPP sponsors promotional campaigns like the popular Stay in the Blue and Choose to Be Safe and Legal, which educate students who choose to drink about safe drinking habits and the laws surrounding drinking.

And of those who do drink, most drink responsibly and limit themselves to just a few drinks, Desprez said.

“The perception is that everybody does it,” she said. “And that’s often a misperception, and sometimes making sure people have an accurate perception changes the way people drink.”

As a result of the way movies portray college life, Desperez said, students enter the University as freshmen thinking everyone at college drinks heavily. Her job, she said, is to present them with information that shows not everyone drinks, and most of those that do drink do so modestly.

Essentially, she says, there is no single party culture.