Feb. 17, 2012
With spring break just a little less than three weeks away, Catholic University students have begun counting the days until they get a chance to relax. They also are pledging to keep their friends safe during the break.
Launched on Feb. 13 through a poster campaign, iPromise is a pledge that students sign online in the three weeks leading up to spring break. It reads:
"I understand that my friends are some of the most important people in my life. I promise to keep them safe as much as I possibly can physically, emotionally, and spiritually."
The program, which is in its sixth year, is run by students from the peer education group CUAlternative and the Office of the Dean of Students, with support from Campus Ministry. The students work with a CUA graphic designer to design three separate posters that go up around campus. Each week, a new poster is revealed that provides a little more information about what iPromise is.
"iPromise is an important pledge that solidifies the importance of keeping your friends safe over spring break," says sophomore Katelyn Bockin, a student coordinator for the campaign. "I want to protect my friends, and this pledge demonstrates the significance of friendships overall on our campus."
Rachel Wainer, assistant dean of students, says she hopes 1,200 students will sign the pledge. "It's hard to say 'no, I don't want to keep my friends safe,'" she explains.
"I think the spirit of this campaign fits in very well with the values of our University," Wainer adds. "We are a strong community and the pledge is about looking out for other members of your community, specifically your friends during spring break, when there are opportunities for students to engage in activities that could put themselves or their friends in unsafe situations."
The campaign is linked to CUA's Safe Spring Break Week (Feb. 27 through March 2), which runs the week before the break. Resident assistants, student organizations, and campus offices will offer special programs and initiatives that week to promote healthy behaviors over spring break. For example, on Feb. 28, the Office of Campus Activities will host the Sixth Annual Student Org Mocktail contest. Student organizations will compete against each other to make the best non-alcoholic cocktail.
For students interested in getting involved in CUAlternative, applications will be available on the organization's website at the end of February.