Organizers of this year’s Symposium on Democracy are giving out bracelets throughout next week to promote the event. The bracelets will be distributed throughout the university tomorrow, and will also be available in the University Communications office.

The bracelets will be available in three colors – red, white and blue – and each color has one of the words from the May 4 Memorial – inquire, learn, reflect – printed on them.

“We want students to think about the themes of the symposium when they put the bracelets on,” said Scott Juba, graduate student of public relations.

The theme of this year’s symposium is taking care of problems through talking, as opposed to more drastic ways, he said.

The bracelets were paid for with funds set aside by the university for the symposium, Juba said.

Three thousand bracelets were made, with about 1,000 available in each color.

The Symposium on Democracy will be held on May 2 and 3, and will feature four guest speakers, including Paul Rusesabagina, who sheltered over 1,200 refugees during the Rwandan genocide. Rusesabagina’s life story was the inspiration for the film Hotel Rwanda.

– Derek Lenehan