Spring Break Safety Week Returns To Lynn, Encouraging Students To Stay In Control

With Spring Break just around the corner, Lynn wants to ensure that students know the “dos” and the “donts” of having fun and staying safe over break. Spring Break Safety Week, hosted by Lynn each year, seeks to teach students the ways in which they can keep safety a top priority while enjoying their time off.

The activities began Monday, Feb. 27 and will continue until Thursday, March 2. The week long program is designed to highlight the dangers that may occur over the course of spring break.

The lessons demonstrated throughout the week are designed to provide students with an

educational experience pertaining to safety and well-being .

“The purpose of the week is to raise awareness about being safe during spring break,” said Gail DeCina, substance abuse prevention and treatment specialist in the university’s counseling center. “[Topics include] alcohol and other drugs in general, as well as the mixing of alcohol with other drugs, alcohol poisoning, the effects of alcohol on the body, seatbelt safety, drinking and driving and alcohol and sex/ sexual assault education.”

On Wednesday, students will have the opportunity to gather at the Perper Plaza (if raining, event will be held in the Student Center lobby), to participate in activities focused on the effects of alcohol. A presentation of fake

IDs will be given, along with a field sobriety test activity to simulate the effects of driving while under the influence, sponsored by the law and justice club.

“Hopefully, they get information which informs them about the risks and consequences associated with alcohol and other drugs and how to be safe,” said DeCina.

Other aspects of the week include informational presentations that cover travel precautions for those traveling over break, as well as stimulator rides that encourage safe driving habits and discourage unsafe practices like drinking while under the influence.

Organizations like Living Skills in the Schools, help sponsor the event, bringing in presenters to talk about their personal experiences with substance abuse and the coinciding dangers.

“The idea of wanting to provide an educational event for students

that occurs before spring break [came from the fact that] there are unfortunately [many] alcohol- related tragedies that occur during this time with college students,” said DeCina.

As Spring Break Safety Week comes to a close, faculty, staff and students are reminded to take caution in all planned activities and coinciding travels during the week of spring break, as many students from many universities will be off as well. Spring break is a time to rest from daily studies, but in order to have a truly wonderful spring break, one must be safe while having fun, keeping in mind what was presented during Spring Break Safety Week.

Brian Martin

Brian Martin is entering his final semester and intends to make the most out of it. As his time with iPulse is coming to an end, Martin looks back on his previous years and cherishes all the experiences he has had in such a short period of time. Having received numerous academic accolades and partaking in different internships, including one with the Miami Herald, Martin is only striving to learn even more and succeed following his graduation this May. After graduation, he plans to move to Los Angeles and work for a pop culture news organization like IGN. Being a nerd at heart, his passions include playing video games and reading comics.

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