When MSU police Officer Ann Stahl joins the Department of Police and Public Safety’s Detective Bureau on March 1 as an alcohol education officer, we hope she is up to a tough challenge before her.

Stahl will be charged with working alongside Olin Health Center, the Residence Halls Association and mentors to educate MSU students. She also will work within the detective bureau to conduct follow-up investigations on sexual criminal conduct.

In the past, Stahl’s road patrol shifts, in addition to her education duties, took a lot of her attention away from alcohol-related issues.

She will now be able to be extremely flexible in her hours in order to devote to awareness programs, said MSU police Lt. Mary Johnson, who is in charge of operations in the detective bureau.

Hopefully the new time will bring about some very innovative ideas.

Stahl will have to deal with a student body that will not be magnetized to her educational programs. She will have to gravitate toward students. Perhaps her toughest challenge will be creating new and innovative ways to grab people’s attention.

Too many times programs are targeted at students who are unaware of the dangers of excessive drinking, but are attended only by students who tend to be aware of such issues.

Students, too, should realize Stahl is in a position to help them, not to issue minor in possession citations.

Stahl also will have to be creative when attempting to educate the students of this university, because an all-out “don’t-drink” philosophy doesn’t work.

We agree that educating students on the effects of over drinking is important.

A lot of students come to MSU unfamiliar with the consequences of excessive drinking or feel invincibility to possible physical harms.

This is a good move by the MSU police. Stahl’s ability to execute her ideas will be her most important task.