Live Wire Blog

Give yourself a break

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Ryan Gavin

In what has become a pre-spring break tradition on the MU campus, the Wellness Resource Center will host its annual Safe Spring Break 2009 event Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students and faculty looking to pick up some safety tips before heading out of town can go to the fair, enjoy free pizza and soda, and pick up T-shirts and other freebies. The event, which has been running for two decades, will be held in a different location this year — Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union — as construction of the New Student Center is completed.

With nearly 20 booths, the event covers a wide range interests while offering interactive activities and education on subjects such as safe sex, safe driving and sexual assault.

Kim Dude, director of the Wellness Resource Center, said the goal of the program is to help students stay safe during spring break no matter where they go or what they do.

“Every decision you make, no matter what it is, has a consequence,” Dude says. “You need to be intentional with every decision you make because there are some powerfully negative consequences to those choices, and they can impact you for the rest of your life. I certainly want students to have fun and relax, but there are ways to do that without making potentially dangerous decisions.”

In addition to topics covered every year, this year’s Safe Spring Break event addresses recent troubles in Mexico that have prompted U.S. government warnings.

The State Department has issued an alert about recent increases in violence and crime throughout Mexico. While millions of citizens visit the country each year, many Mexican and foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country. In recent years, dozens of U.S. citizens have been kidnapped. Robberies, homicides, petty thefts and carjackings have increased as well, with notable spikes in Tijuana and northern Baja California. It is suggested that visitors to Mexico:

• Visit only legitimate business and tourist areas only during daylight hours.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Leave your itinerary with a friend or family member not traveling with you.
• Avoid traveling alone.
• Check with your cellular provider prior to departure to confirm that your cell phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G international networks.
• Do not display expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money or other valuable items.
• Avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur.
• Register with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the State Department’s travel registration Web site.

“The State Department’s not telling people not to go,” Dude says. “They’re saying if you go, here’s how to stay safe. Really, it’s the same kinds of things people need to do no matter where they go.”

If an emergency involving U.S. citizens in Mexico occurs, travelers should contact the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The U.S. Embassy is located in Mexico City.

• Telephone from the U.S.: 011-52-55-5080-2000
• Telephone within Mexico City: 5080-2000
• Telephone long distance within Mexico: 01-55-5080-2000
• E-mail: ccs@usembassy.net.mx

The center does its best to educate students, but workers are aware there’s only so much they can do.

“We evaluate every year at the end of [spring break], and students say they’re more likely to make safer choices,” Dude says. “It’s our responsibility to educate them and just hope they go out and make good decisions.”