Groups host safety event in preparation for Halloween

As students gear up for a ghastly night on Franklin Street this Sunday, the specter of danger still looms over them.

So the UNC Residence Hall Association teamed up with the Department of Public Safety and the Center for Healthy Student Behavior on Thursday to put together a "Safety Extravaganza," featuring booths, interactive events and food.

"We want to make residents aware of what resources are available ... and make it salient in their minds, especially at the end of the month when with Homecoming and Halloween they're not as vigilant about safety issues," said Ronda Harding, a resident assistant at Parker Residence Hall who helped coordinate the event.

The event was held in two places on Stadium Drive - in front of Kenan Stadium's Gate 2 and in the lobby of Carmichael Residence Hall. Food and drinks were distributed outside the hall for people who visited each station set up for the fair.

Sophomore Melanie Pace said that she was drawn initially by the offer of Papa John's Pizza, sandwiches from Subway, Katie's Pretzels and Pepsi Edge, but that she found more than she expected.

"I know a little more about computer pawning and identity theft," she said.

Carmichael housed booths offering information on larceny and engravers who offered to inscribe students' driver's license numbers on personal items such as laptops and calculators.

Gate 2 featured officials from University police, the N.C. State Highway Patrol and the Chapel Hill Fire Department with Fatal Vision Goggles, which give the impression of being drunk when worn, and the Batmobile, a one-stop checking station for alcohol violations.

Lt. Bill Nato of University police warned students to be careful not only during the upcoming holiday weekend, but all the time.

"First and foremost, don't drink and drive. ... If you do, utilize the Chapel Hill Transit, a designated driver or taxi," he said.

He added that students also should keep an eye on their possessions, citing larceny as the No. 1 reported campus crime. He also advised students to call police if they see suspicious activity in their residences.

Randy Young, spokesman for University police, said Halloween is little different from any other time and reiterated tried-and-true methods of staying safe. Students, he said, shouldn't walk alone after dark, and they should stay in well-lit areas and take precautions to know their surroundings.

Young also added that the Point-2-Point bus service will be running Sunday night and that students should make use of it.

Young said people planning to drive to Franklin Street or those coming to Chapel Hill from out of town should consider making use of the park-and-ride service. He added that there will be paid parking on campus, but none on Franklin Street.

In addition to safety precautions, he said students need to remember to be responsible during the weekend.

David Crescenzo, an attorney for Carolina Student Legal Services, warned that identification fraud is a severe problem that has major ramifications.

"Fake IDs are a recurring problem, always have been and always will be a problem," he said.

"If you're convicted, you will lose your driver's license for a year," Crescenzo said.

He added that if students do get into trouble over the weekend, Student Legal Services will be available to assist them.

"Just because you're in costume doesn't mean they can't catch you and prosecute you."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.