Grace LaTourelle-

The Sorority Alpha Sigma Tau is hosting a NARCAN training on Monday, April 8th, 2024, in the Heritage Room in the Jackson Campus Center. It will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. NARCAN, also called Naloxone, is a medicine that will rapidly reverse opioid overdose. AST requests that the Google Form be completed to track attendees, however, registration for the event ended Thursday, April 4th.

The training will teach students how to apply and administer NARCAN to another person, as well as provide a kit in case of future need. The training will begin with a presentation about NARCAN and then introduce Stephanie Jordan, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor based in Mankato. Jordan will then teach how to administer the medicine. The goal of the presentation and training is to have the skills to save someone’s life in an opioid overdose situation.

“Even if you don’t think there are a lot of cases of overdose happening on our campus in general, you can never know when you will need to help someone in danger,” Vice President of Member Development of AST and Junior Lizzie Orth said.

AST’s philanthropy is the Women’s Wellness Initiative and through that, they focus on women empowerment. However, AST views the NARCAN training as a way to empower all people through education and the ability to save lives.

“Additionally, the Women’s Wellness Initiative focuses on the six dimensions of wellness, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional,” President of the Epsilon Xi Chapter of AST and Junior Rose Han said. “In this training on how to administer Narcan, the people who receive this training are now able to support others’ physical well-being, which can begin to support the other dimensions of wellness.”

The NARCAN training also reflects the core values of Gustavus via community and service.

“After this training, we will have many Gustavus students who will be able to administer NARCAN, which means they will be looking after the Gustavus community and the individuals in it,” Han said.

This opportunity is unique in that it’s a free event where, in other circumstances, it would typically cost money to receive such training. AST encourages Gusties to show up and take advantage of the opportunity to learn the administration of NARCAN.

“Gusties should show up so they can learn more about this as it is an important thing to know about even if we don’t see it in our daily lives,” Orth said.

AST also commends the Gusties who have signed up to attend this year’s event and attended the event last year.

“This is very encouraging to see because it shows that the Gustavus community does care about the safety and well-being of the people who are exposed to opioid overdose and would need Narcan administered to them,” Han said.