Greek community to hold event about “Your Spring Break Hookup”

Kate Bigam

In an effort to educate Spring Break travelers about the risks associated with week-long partying, the Greek community is hosting “Your Spring Break Hookup” in conjunction with the Women’s Resource Center, the Office of Health Promotions and Townhall II.

Speakers from the three organizations will address Greek students and members of the general public about Spring Break safety at 7 p.m. on Monday in the Student Center Ballroom.

Danielle Keckley, risk management chairwoman of the Panhellenic Council and one of the coordinators of the program, said the presentation will be both fun and informative. Primary topics will be safe sex, sexual abuse, and alcohol and drug abuse.

“There are a ridiculous amount of hookups and one-night stands on Spring Break,” Keckley said. “We need to get the word out about how to be safe.”

At the start of the program, Hilda Pettit, coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center, will host an interactive icebreaker about safe sex. The second speaker, Scott Dotterer of the Office of Health Promotions, will discuss statistics on Kent State students who are sexually abused on their Spring Break vacations.

Keckley said the majority of Dotterer’s statistics involve the rapes of male students, not just female. She described many of the statistics as “jaw-dropping.”

“Yeah, it’s a great time but so much can go wrong,” Keckley said of Spring Break vacations. “You need to be responsible and accountable while you’re having fun.”

Each student who attends the program will receive a “Hookup Kit” containing a condom, a breath mint and a list of pick-up lines, along with rape-prevention tips and statistics.

At the end of the program, Deborah Neuhart from Townhall II, a local organization that promotes health and wellness, will discuss ways students who encounter safety issues on Spring Break can find help both locally and abroad.

The event is free and open to the public.

Contact Greek life reporter Kate Bigam at [email protected].