About 70 students saw a program that was co-sponsored by S.A.D.D. and a Division of Student Affairs, last Wednesday, March 28 in Alumni Hall. Bernie McGrenahan perform a very funny comedy routine, and then they heard his story about his life and alcohol. McGrenahan has been on: MTV, Showtime, A&E Evening at the Improv and has opened for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Jewel and Rodney Dangerfield.
McGrenahan has wanted to educate students ever since he was watching CNN in a course of a few months and alcohol was a factor in their death. The more he saw it happen, the more he wanted to go out there and use his standup comedy and real life story to try to inspire students and teach students on ways to be better and smarter choices when it comes to alcohol. He wanted to bring students in laughing and send them out thinking. He sure did do that.
McGrenahan’s plans in the future include a goal of reaching 100 schools a year. He would also like to go around to colleges and universities as long as he is “young and hip enough to relate to students.”
As long as he can make students laugh, respect him, listen to his story and take into consideration what he is saying, then he’ll be happy. He wants students to know that you don’t have to have a tragic incident occur to become an alcoholic. You could be living in a “funk” or just not being the best person you can be. Alcohol affects your grades and thinking.
Alcohol can kill and has killed. Alcohol does not respect anyone. It can cause havoc in your life. Maybe you don’t realize it right away but your family and friends will but its up to you to stop.
The denial factor about drinking is overwhelming and he knows it because he’s been there. McGrenahan said “don’t be afraid of Abstinence.” He said that between the ages of 13-26 he tried to control alcohol but he couldn’t. Alcohol he said, “defeats you in the long run.”
McGrenahan’s final message was this; “Alcohol is a drug, respect it, for it will not respect you, it knows no boundaries and it can be harmful to the point of death.” McGrenahan would like to make his session mandatory for athlete’s and greeks because they are more apt to drink.
But for now, he is just waiting on his movie deal. Hollywood wants to follow him on tour and make a movie about his story. But until then he will be touring talking about his story and making people laugh nation wide, as “a comedian with a message.”