“Party the Wright Way,” not the wrong way

Sasha Johnson | News Editor

The Town of Wrightsville Beach is working with merchants to encourage late-night patrons to be safe and respectful as part of the Party the Wright Way campaign.

Meg Eaton, now a UNCW alumna, volunteered to take on the project as a senior marketing student. The town of Wrightsville Beach introduced it in late spring this year.

“Wrightsville Beach has always had watering holes,” said David Cignotti, Mayor of Wrightsville Beach. “Today it’s no different. The difference is we have a lot of residents—families—who live adjacent to the bars.”

According to Cignotti, the goal of the campaign is to educate people, namely the young people who frequent the cluster of bars on North Lumina Avenue, or the beach bars. Party the Wright Way is intended as “a tool to ensure that people are enjoying the nightlife, but also to protect the quality of life of residents nearby,” he said.

There is signage promoting the campaign in downtown Wrightsville Beach and along North Lumina. Party the Wright Way merchandise like t-shirts, coasters and refrigerator magnets have been given to downtown merchants, who in turn give them out to patrons. Goods bearing the campaign’s logo were also handed out to students at Beach Blast last week.

David Berry, a senior at UNCW, believes the campaign should target students who are not yet of legal drinking age instead of the 21-and-older crowd, who ideally are more responsible.

“Their efforts should go toward reaching the younger kids,” said Berry, who suggested “They could give out the merchandise on campus.”

Wrightsville Beach’s new Chief of Police Daniel House is working closely with UNCW to ensure there is clear and regular communication between the town and the university.

The campaign, sponsored jointly by the Town of Wrightsville Beach and downtown businesses, aims to tackle issues that go hand in hand with a lively nightlife like excessive noise and drunk driving. “A lot of folks are not thinking about what the consequences are,” said Cignotti. For example, a noise violation carries a $250 fine. “But you can solve a lot of issues by educating people,” he said.

Although Cignotti said “[the campaign] can’t rely on enforcement alone,” students are acutely aware of the police presence on Wrightsville Beach.

“Wrightsville Beach is notorious for how strict the police are,” said UNCW senior Nick Hunckler. “I would never drive drunk down there, and I don’t know anybody who would.”