A year after photos posted on Facebook led to arrests in the wake of last year’s Palmerfest, Ohio University is incorporating the incriminating potential of social media into this quarter’s fest safety campaign.
Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi presented a preliminary poster design to OU’s Student Senate meeting last night.
The new poster was designed by University Communications and Marketing and features a Las Vegas-style sign with the words “What happens in Athens stays on,” followed by the logos of Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, Myspace and Google.
Lombardi said with this year’s fest safety campaign, OU will target on-campus students more than it has in previous years.
“In the past, we’ve kind of focused on off-campus residents, but we’re going to focus on people in the residence halls as well this year,” he said.
Student Senate President Jesse Neader said he thinks the poster design will make seniors who are applying for jobs consider their actions.
“They need to be cautious of what they put out there and what they do,” he said.
During last year’s fest season, Student Senate set up “hydration stations” where volunteers passed out water to fest goers. This year, Neader said, senate will work with Students Defending Students to educate students as well, making sure everyone knows the difference between Halloween, a city-sanctioned street festival, and the Spring fests, which are not city-approved.
“We’re trying to supplement a lot of the actions of other people,” Neader said.
While Lombardi said he has received positive reactions to the poster, some senators worried that the design could send the wrong message.
“I think it’s a clever poster, but when everyone thinks about Vegas, they think about partying and drinking,” said Off-Campus Life Commissioner Bradley Evans.
University Life Commissioner John Calhoun agreed, saying the poster reminds him of the comedy movie The Hangover.
“It looks like an advertisement that says, ‘Party, just not on camera,’” he said.
Lombardi said the final poster design will have more information for students about fest season.
“We’re going to keep tweaking it and playing with it,” he said.
–Kaitrin McCoy contributed to this report.
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