By C.G. Lynch

Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon will be spending thirsty Thursday in the Curry Student Center Ballroom as part of the Greek fraternity’s effort to cut through stereotypes connecting fraternities and sororities with drugs and alcohol.

The fraternity will host former White House advisor Paul Chabot, who will speak to students about the dangers of club drugs and other substances being abused by the college age group.

Chabot, a former drug addict who entered rehab at the age of 12, worked for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush from 1999-2005 as Senior Advisor to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

“They are going to see things that they’ve never seen before,” Chabot said. “There’s a lot of images, videos and stuff that is just going to knock their socks off.”

In addition to his work at the White House, Chabot worked for many years as a police officer in Los Angeles and is also a Naval Intelligence Officer, a position he has held from 2001 to the present day.

The title of his lecture, which he travels the country visiting myriad colleges to deliver, is “Presentation X: Facts, myths and decisions surrounding substance.”

Chabot said he plans to talk about the raw facts surrounding substance abuse and to offer support for students who seek to live a substance-free life.

The fraternity is also trying to dispel rumors about their role in the drug and alcohol facet of society, emphasizing education and not abuse, said middler Bill Tennant.

“Generally the perception is, we are the type of fraternities you see in ‘Animal House,'” said Tennant, who has a double major in accounting finance and insurance and has helped organize the event while working in Fairfield, Conn. for his co-op at GE Corporate.

“We want to change that perception,” Tennant added. “It hits close to home, because the typical ‘frat boy’ is really not us.”

On campus, the event planning has been spearheaded by freshman Matt Penzone, who helped secure the speaker fee and advertising money from the Budget Review Committee.

“It’s to bring awareness,” Penzone said. “[Chabot’s talk] really is something people think needs to be said and it opens up a new perspective.”

Chabot’s Presentation X starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Sigma Phi Epsilon is hoping to fill up the entire Ballroom for the event. After his talk, Chabot is going to be available for questions from anyone in the audience.

“I’m going to try to facilitate a discussion about these issues,” Chabot said. “I want to get students to think about where their future is and where they are going.”