DATE: March 06, 2008

CONTACT: Kathy Cauthen, (864) 656-3053
kcauthe@clemson.edu

WRITER: Angela Nixon, (864) 656-0382
anixon@clemson.edu

Interactive safety fair, flag football tournament to promote safe spring break

CLEMSON – Clemson University’s Division of Student Affairs and EMPower Clemson want to gear students up for a safe spring break with an interactive safety fair and flag football tournament Saturday, March 8, on Jervey Meadows field, located beside Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The fair is free and open to the public and will feature information from the Clemson University Police Department, CPR and first-aid information, self-defense strategies, alcohol safety tips, Clemson Area Transit schedules and car safety-check demonstrations. Rainy weather forced the postponement of the fair from Friday to Saturday. All events will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Ashley York, a junior from Fort Mill majoring in sociology, wanted to host the safety fair and approached EMPower Clemson for their support.

“Safety on campus needs to be improved. There is just a general lack of knowledge among students about safety issues,” York said. “I want to make safety fun to learn about. Students don’t think anything will ever happen to them, and they need to know who to contact and what to do if something bad does happen.”

The fair will feature a concert by local rock band Swift Robinson and the “Clemson memories” photo booth.

The flag football tournament was organized by the EMPower advisory board as a response to student requests for an alternative activity to participate in on campus. It is for student teams only, but the public can come watch the action, which starts Saturday morning at 9. The championship game will be played in Memorial Stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday. Winners of the tournament will receive a 10-person game package to Clemson’s football game against Alabama Aug. 30 in Atlanta.