By LYDIA EARHART

Staff Writer

Tech's Student Speakers Bureau will make presentations this month in university seminar classes to give new students advice to help them make good choices.

"Our main goal is to inform fellow students on how to make healthy decisions," Robert Burt, coordinator of the SSB, said.

The SSB presents to various organizations and university seminar classes across campus on subjects such as stress, sexually-transmitted diseases, relationships, rape, career and decision making, maximizing academic performance, eating disorders and alcohol. Presentations are given upon request from organizations.

"My freshmen year I was impressed [with the SSB] because they aren't afraid. The freshmen look up to you," Emily Allison, a junior marketing major, said. "I'm looking to give back to this year's freshmen."

Burt said university seminar classes are presented yearly because of the pressure on incoming freshmen.

In the university seminar classes, the presentation includes information on the counseling center. Students are informed about workshops or support groups they can join for free.

"These groups touch on some personal issues and anything you need help with," Blake Frederick, a senior speech communication major, said. "Everyone who you talk to is licensed, and it is free of charge."

The next section is on alcohol.

Frederick said students in the university seminar classes are given an alcohol survey. Questions range from how often you drink to how many drinks you have.

After the survey, statistics are shown on last year's freshmen class' answers.

Frederick said the SSB gives ways students can drink safely if they choose to drink. Some of the ways are abstinence and moderate drinking. The next section of the presentation gives ways for students to deal with stress.

Frederick said working out, eating well and thinking positively can help deal with stress. The final section informs students on sexual assault, rape and sexually-transmitted diseases. The SSB defines rape and sexually transmitted diseases.

"We are not here to tell you what to do, but we are here to give you information to make decisions," Frederick said. "Good decisions can change these statistics." Ê

Frederick said a major part of stress happens in most cases when making the transition from high school to college.

"It was an informative presentation," Leslie Pounders, a freshmen architecture major, said. "[It] could've opened people's eyes to make better decisions."