Safety reminders
In this Issue:
- Reminder on where to report issues for the police
- E scooter safety reminders
- Suggested time to call your Deacs each week: Friday afternoon
- Maps and perspective re: hurricanes
It’s Move-In Week! This will be a big week for our campus, and to get us in the right mood, thought it would be fun to share this post from our wfuniversity Instagram account – it’s the Class of 2029 in sunglasses. Great fun – maybe our P’29s will see your Deac there! And it’s a great reminder to follow our official social media accounts.
Today I want to jump right in with a few important safety reminders. Let’s go!
Reminder on where to report issues for the police
If students need to report a crime (or suspected crime) or need police help, we need them to dial 911 or report it via the Wake Safe app. Sometimes students’ first reaction in a crime situation is to call their parents or families, or text their friends, or post on social media, but those channels do not alert police. So we need them to call police first (and then they can tell you if they want).
E scooter safety reminders
As the semester is about to begin, we want to remind students about safe storage of e-scooters and e-bikes.
For personal safety and the safety of others, e-scooters, e-bikes and similar devices may not be used, stored or charged indoors in residence halls, offices or campus buildings.
Several buildings on campus have electric outlets close to their main entrances where e-mobile devices can be charged safely.
Here’s what else you need to know:
- E-scooters and similar devices must be registered with Transportation and Parking Services.
- E-scooters, e-bikes or other similar devices found indoors on University-owned property may be confiscated.
- E-scooters and similar devices may be locked and stored at a bike rack or taken home over academic breaks.
The National Fire Protection Agency website provides additional information and a tip sheet on safety awareness for e-bikes and e-scooters. Small vehicle storage guidelines, safety tips and a downloadable PDF on safety guidelines can be found on the Parking and Transportation website.
Suggested time to call your Deacs each week: Friday afternoon
Back when I was a student, families often chose a set day/time to have their student call home. With cell phones, you can text or call your Deacs just about any time. I would argue that even though texting is quick and easy, you should have a real phone call at least once a week.
As you and your students try to determine the best day/time for them to call you for a proper conversation, you may want to suggest that it be on Friday afternoons. Why?
Research by Meg Small at Penn State showed parental communication on weekends (30 minutes or more of general conversations not specifically related to substance use) decreased the high risk use of alcohol on those weekends.
The theory is that when students get a call from Mom, Dad, or loved ones, it provides an implicit reminder of family connections, responsibilities, and parental expectations for behavior. Those pings from home might hit the student’s conscience and serve to reduce risky behavior. So if you are looking for a regular check in time, Friday afternoons might be your best bet.
Maps and perspective re: hurricanes
With powerful hurricane Erin being tracked – though it is projected to stay well off the coast – I thought it might be good to remind everyone that Winston-Salem is very much inland from the coast. It’s 3-4 hours away to the closest beach. Maps to Wilmington, NC and Charleston, SC are below so you can get a sense of the scope. You can click the pictures to enlarge.
In my 30+ years of living in Winston-Salem/working at WFU, there have only really been a couple of hurricanes that took a wonky turn north and impacted Winston-Salem. And by “impact,” what I really mean is it rained for a couple of days and was windier than normal. (Once a hurricane has to travel 3-4 hours over land, it pretty much peters out into just a wind and rain event.)
Hope that helps add some perspective to where we are and reduces any anxiety one might feel.
Nothing is more important than the safety of our students. We appreciate all Daily Deac readers helping to reinforce these safety reminders.