Jon Dalton, vice president for student affairs, and DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow will be pouring non-alcoholic beverages for NIU students on Wednesday to promote National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.

“We do acknowledge that alcohol use is an issue for many college students,” Dalton said. On Wednesday he and Sparrow will be “trying to promote non-alcoholic or alternative beverages,” he said.

Brent Allen, InterFraternity Council vice president of activities, invited Dalton and Sparrow as the “guest bartenders” to help promote the week as well as to receive more recognition for NIU and the greek system.

Allen said Miller Beverages will offer tips on “when to say when.” He said, “We’re not promoting abstinence (from alcohol), just responsible drinking.”

Members of the greek system will be wearing red on Wednesday to publicize the event and to show the support of their chapters.

Steven Lux, Health Enhancement Services health educator, said this is the fourth year for the promotion of the awareness week, and it helps minimize the risk of drinking.

The week “is a national effort sponsored by the InterAssociation Task Force on alcohol and other substance abuse issues,” he said.

Allen said the awareness week originated in Atlanta, and different universities have a week-long variety of events to recognize this topic.

Wednesday “holds a lot of potential recognition for the university as a whole,” and it will “do the greek reputation good” to be involved with it, he said.

Dalton and Sparrow will be “bartending” in the King Memorial Commons or in the Pow Wow Room on the west side between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., depending on the weather.

A list of recipes on the types of drinks being poured will be provided for students if they have found alternatives to alcohol.