How do you counter the notion that the college experience ought to reflect the movie, "Animal House," with its numerous examples of drunken excesses? Sometimes a good dose of facts, along with some positive peer pressure, is just the ticket.

A program for student-athletes at the University of Arizona is doing just that, and it's been so well received that it has become a model for others.

The life skills department at Arizona, known as the "CATS (Commitment to an Athlete's Total Success) Personal Development" program launched the MVP/Factoid Project last year, using funds from an NCAA CHOICES grant.

The project is a computer-based program that uses a social norms approach to substance-abuse prevention to highlight healthy majority attitudes, behaviors and opinions of student-athletes. The program was created by Wesley Perkins and David Craig of Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

"Social norm theory holds that student misperceptions about the behavior and attitudes of their peers can affect their behavior," said Becky Bell, director of the CATS program at Arizona. "For example, if student-athletes think heavy drinking is the norm, they may feel pressured to drink more than they would have if they thought that moderate to light drinking is more typical among their fellow athletes."

Bell says accurate norms information helps correct misperceptions about drinking and other use among student-athletes.

That information is presented to student-athletes at Arizona in the form of "factoids" indicating what student-athletes typically do when they drink and how much and how often they drink. The factoids appear, along with a credible data source, as the screen saver on all the computers in the athletics department computer lab.

In addition to information about alcohol and other drug use, the factoids also present statistics on the norms for study habits, use of athletics department programs and other opinions and attitudes. Every fourth factoid is a photograph from other athletics department programming, such as guest speakers, community-service work, leadership groups or award winners. The factoids and photographs -- there are now 150 different ones -- cycle through the screen saver to stimulate interest.

About 250 student-athletes use the computer lab every day, so exposure to the screen saver is high.

"I really like the factoids," said Brooke Taylor, a women's tennis student-athlete.

"I think the ones relating to alcohol are great because they inform people that most student-athletes are responsible when they drink. I think it is really important for people to know that because I know too many people who believe all athletes are irresponsible and party too much. The survey results prove them wrong."

The social norming approach isn't new at Arizona. Campus-wide survey data collected since 1994 at the school have shown that when undergraduate students are presented with accurate information about their own alcohol, tobacco and drug use, their behavior has been affected in a positive way.

Sarah Jacobs, a track and field student-athlete, thinks the factoids help new student-athletes realign their expectations with reality.

"I am really impressed with the amount of positive information presented through this program," she said. "I believe it will especially help the freshmen athletes, who come to the university with a stereotypical view of how much college students (especially athletes) drink and party. They believe they have to match the stereotype to be accepted, when in fact the stereotype is far deviant from the actual behavior of most students. The program is working, and will continue to work, because it presents reality backed up with solid statistics. By showing all of us the way things truly are, the program removes the desire to rely on a stereotype to fit in."

In addition to the factoid program, the CHOICES grant also supports additional efforts aimed at supporting awareness of healthy and positive student-athlete values and expectations. The program supports an annual poster that features a member of each of the university's varsity athletics teams under the headline, "We are always in uniform." Last year's poster emphasized that student-athletes represent their teams and the university. This year's poster focuses on the athletics department as "family" and the importance of looking out for one another.

The projects are all part of the S.T.A.R.R. (Student-athletes taking active responsible roles) campaign, which was first initiated at Arizona and is now operating on a pilot basis at many NCAA institutions throughout the country.

Arizona's Bell, who oversees the CHOICES grant and related programs, is optimistic.

"The multifaceted approach we are taking appears to be having a positive effect. Certainly the social norms approach has been the cornerstone of these exciting results. The MVP/ Factoid screen saver program has been a big success. Even study habits are on the rise."

While the program's long-term effects are still being analyzed, Bell points to a 2001 Arizona survey of 262 student-athletes that showed a reduction in drinking and many other positive results.

Students have reported a decrease in peer pressure to drink since the program began.

Matt Lea, a track and field student-athlete, is among the program's advocates.

"By seeing the statistics on drinking, you don't have to feel so pressured to drink. I think (the factoids) are good because it lets people know what is really going on out there. I also liked that it showed student-athletes are graduating from school and other interesting facts about behaviors and attitudes."

Graduation, responsible behavior -- somebody ought to make a movie.