Editor’s Note: This story includes mention of potentially triggering situations, such as sexual violence, excessive drinking and substance abuse.
Tables were scattered across Dunn Meadow on Wednesday for the Culture of Care’s Safe Spring Break Fest. IU organizations educated students on safe practices to implement during spring break.
“We chose spring break because, a lot of the time, spring break is stereotypically a big party time for students,” freshman Analiece Emigh, Culture of Care’s vice president, said. “As students are doing these things, they learn how to stay safe and take care of themselves while doing so.”
Students visited each organization at different tables with a passport booklet, and representatives at each signed off on their passports. The IU Police Department, Office of Student Life and the Office for Sexual Violence and Victim Advocacy handed out safety resources for Hoosiers traveling during break.
IU senior Kate Ray, a social work student who works for the IU substance abuse and intervention services, said she uses this event as an opportunity to equip students with items they may need during their vacation.
“It’s super important to have these harm reduction techniques on hand,” Ray said. “You never know where you will end up on spring break, and a lot of other students are going with other students, so it is important to have a tool kit with them while they’re out.”
Students not being prepared over break is exactly what Marcey Tidwell, a resident nurse at the IU Health Center, worries about. Tidwell said her three essentials are sunscreen, condoms and medication refills.
“I think a lot of people may not think about certain things, particularly the medication,” Tidwell said. “Sometimes we get down wherever we’re going to be and suddenly it’s like ‘Oh, I took my last pill yesterday. What do I do now?’”
Education during the event wasn’t just through games and informational flyers. Connor Cagek, director of drugs and alcohol awareness at the Culture of Care, helped run an obstacle course. Organizers asked competitors to wear drunk goggles and navigate through a bounce house to emphasize the importance of safe drinking.
“This is a very big concern because of all the roofie-ing that is going on around IU,” Cagek said. “You need to be safe drinking.”
Drinking responsibly can include stopping after one or two drinks, not getting in a vehicle while impaired, and drinking water in between drinks.
Rachel Stewart-Allen, an IU student, said she appreciated the work that went into educating students on safety.
“It raises awareness,” Stewart-Allen said. “It’s just a fun way to get connected to the university, and it’s just a sweet thing they put on.”
Organizations also promoted their own organizations and how they can help outside of spring break travels.
McKenna Love, pure health and wellness educator at the Office of Student Life, informed students at Safe Spring Break Fest about the Wellness House at IU. which its website describes as a place for students to go to get away from academic stresses.
Flyers, fidgets and fresh snacks were just a few of the things handed out at Love’s table, but she said what she and her team really wanted students to take away from their table is that it’s okay to be vulnerable.
“We want to break the stigma. We don’t want students to feel like it’s not okay to ask for help,.” Love said. “I think seeing a lot of their peers do it makes them feel a lot more comfortable coming out and asking for help.”
Culture of Care will host another educational event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26 called “Condoms and Cupcakes” in the Frangipani Room at the Indiana Memorial Union to further educate Hoosiers on sexual safety.
