BEMIDJI — Addiction and recovery specialists and advocates will talk about their struggles with alcohol and other drugs at Bemidji State University Wednesday night.

The university will host a “straight talk” panel there, and panelists from Bemidji’s Face it TOGETHER and Sanford Health will talk about addiction, their acute symptoms of it, and their paths to wellness and recovery.

“We want to eliminate the stigma and the shame that’s related to an addiction,” said Jay Passa, a health education coordinator at BSU. “We want folks to learn that seeking treatment is really not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. And we’re just gonna talk about the fact that addiction is a chronic, long term, manageable disease.”

The panel is a highlight of Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week at the university, where staff have scheduled a seminar about date rape drugs for Thursday and a “mocktails” party and costume contest for Saturday. BSU staff hosted a “dating doctor” last week, a seminar on Monday about high-risk drinking, and a talk on Tuesday about sexual violence.

“So many times when there’s sexual violence, alcohol is part of the issue, part of the problem,” Passa explained.

Wednesday’s panel will consist of Amber Vincent and KP Selzer from Face it TOGETHER and Jeff Lindseth from Sanford. It will be moderated by Margot Kelsey, who was a panelist herself at last year’s event and is the executive director of Face it TOGETHER Bemidji.

BSU is an “amnesty” campus, Passa said, which means that students who call authorities to help an overserved friend are generally protected from disciplinary action if they’ve been drinking illegally themselves.

If you go:

What: “Straight Talk” panel

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25

Where: American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University