Dan Duval, a recovered alcoholic and drug addict, gave his annual lecture to the freshman class yesterday in the Quick Center Auditorium, as students listened intently and were touched by his emotional story.
For the eighth year, Duval told the audience of his personal spiral downhill into the life of drugs and alcohol.
Duval said alcohol came first, and was followed by experimentation with other drugs such as marijuana and mushrooms, and finally leading to cocaine, his drug of choice.
“Alcohol and drugs don’t give anything they just take,” said Duval.
“The only thing alcohol ever gave me was a hangover,” he said.
Despite his legal trouble and personality changes, one teenage football player who Duval coached in his hometown Manchester, N.H., would make the difference in Duval’s life.
“Coaching isn’t just about football or basketball, it’s about kids,” said Duval.
Tyler Brawn, a star athlete throughout his high school career, was diagnosed with Leukemia his senior year. Brawn battled Leukemia with an optimistic attitude and became Duval’s inspiration and hero.
Detoxification is not easy, said Duval, and not everyone can overcome addiction. For some, death is a probability.
Duval said he looks forward to coming back to Fairfield because the students are “gracious hosts.”
“At Fairfield, it’s different- the kids are just awesome- they respond well,” said Duval.
All freshmen are required to attend Duval’s lecture and later discuss it in their Freshman Year Experience (FYE) class.
“The way [Duval] approaches his lecture is very open – like he’s telling a story,” said FYE facilitator Megan Roby ’07, who discussed students’ responses to Duval today.
“He’s not preaching to the kids and they respond well to that,” added Roby.
Students felt the lecture was straight forward and full of emotion.
“He was not boring like other speakers,” said Melissa Merlin ’10. “He genuinely cared and actually gave out his address and told us to contact him if we needed anything. He was different.”
“He was an inspiration to freshmen and made it easy to remember his main points about losing the four ‘F’s’ [Family, Friends, Freedom and Feelings] when you use alcohol or drugs,” said Jack McNamara ’10.
Many students admired Duval’s determination to change his life.
“The man [Duval] traveled to places of the mind that not many even dream of. He seemed normal to us, yes. But think about it, this guy’s pretty messed up,” said Nate Whittaker ’10.
Unlike other lectures, Duval’s personal story made a lasting impression on students.
“It makes students think twice about the decisions they are going to make – coming to college and being influenced is difficult,” said Sarah Teixeira ’08, who remembers attending Duval’s speech two years ago.
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