Safe Spring Break, hosted by PIER 21, is an annual tradition at the University of Miami that strives to both inform students on ways to stay safe during spring break and to make students aware of the many valuable health and wellness resources that are available on campus.
This year’s theme, “Beach Please!,” brought a week of engaging events, demonstrations and activities for the UM community to learn about making safe choices during Spring Break.
The week’s events kicked off February 20 with “Single and Ready to Flamingle,” an event focused on raising awareness of STI’s and sexual health education. “Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself,” an event co-programmed with Greek Week activities, included activities like Peer-Pong and Minute to Win it to better educate students about safe alcohol consumption. Other events of the week highlighted the importance of sun safety and staying safe while traveling.
“We were able to double our audience this year and have conversations with more students. It was fun and lively,” said Whitney O’Regan, assistant dean of students and advisor to PIER 21. “With the support from UM’s Greek life, Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself stands out as a hallmark success for this week.”
O’Regan said she estimates about 1000 students attended this year’s week of events, a feat achieved thanks to the many collaborations with the Division of Student Affairs, including the Student Health Service, the Ddepartment of Wellness & Recreation, Student Government and with campus departments like UMPD.
“So often on campus everyone is programming for themselves. Safe Spring Break offered an opportunity to bring different departments and people who care about student health and resources on campus to have one stage together,” said O’Regan.
The events were sponsored in-part by The Gail S. Posner Substance Abuse Education Fund. The Department of Housing and Residential Life has been an active campus partner with Pier 21 and O’Regan credited their efforts for the large turnout.
“It’s important to have partners all over campus and make sure we have a shared message of safety and fun,” said O’Regan. “Safe Spring Break fosters partnerships that wouldn’t necessarily work together on an everyday basis but support students in the same way to work together and show a united front.”
