Feb. 27, 2013
In preparation for spring break, which will take place this year from March 4 to 10 at Catholic University, students are annually invited to take the iPromise pledge to keep themselves and friends safe during the holiday. However, this year includes an extra twist: the chance to dress up in a pirate costume.
This year's pledge campaign features a pirate theme with a play on the words "Aye promise." After signing the pledge at a table in the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center lobby, students will be able to dress up in pirate costumes and have their picture taken in front of a beach scene backdrop. The photos will be displayed on a board by the table throughout the week.
The iPromise campaign is the principal feature of Safe Spring Break Week, which takes place the week before spring break. The week is an initiative run by CUAlternative, a group of volunteer students who coordinate events through the Office of the Dean of Students that promote education and awareness regarding topics such as alcohol and drug abuse and sexual assault.
This year's student coordinators are senior politics major Aaron Smith from Noblesville, Ind., and junior elementary education major Katelyn Bockin from Manahawkin, N.J.
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"As peer educators we are centered on promoting a healthier campus. While we celebrate the warmer weather and having a week off from school, we also want to make sure that students are watching out for themselves and their peers. This not only makes our peers more aware, but also fulfills our mission to create a healthier campus," Smith said.
Posters have appeared in three phases around campus in the weeks before spring break. At first the posters contained simply an image of a pirate on a beach. The second wave of posters added the words "Aye Promise" and the final posters, which appeared in time for Safe Spring Break Week, included information for students on how to take the pledge.
The pledge reads: "I understand that my friends are some of the most important people in my life. That is why, this spring break, I promise to keep them safe as much as I possibly can physically, emotionally, and spiritually." Students can sign up at the table in the Pryzbyla Center lobby or online at ipromise.cua.edu.
"These campaigns are important because of the amount of myths that revolve around alcohol, especially within a university atmosphere," Smith said. "By holding these campaigns, we hope to bust some of these myths and help bring awareness to some of the many side effects that are possible from the use of alcohol."