Students take to the streets for safety
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

For many of the University at Buffalo's off-campus students, their first time living on their own without a guardian or dorm residential advisor happens in college.

To help promote safety in these off-campus homes, 40 UB students volunteered on Sept. 28 to take part in Operation Doorhanger, organized by the UB Office of Student Life. The students distributed approximately 3,500 informational door hangers.

"We have been doing this project for awhile, every September, in order to increase awareness to students about safe practices," said Mary Clare Fahey of the Office of Student Life.

The students walked the streets of University Heights, handing out fliers to all residents, not just at students' houses. Fahey said the program is also good for reminding residents to be safe and good neighbors.

Fahey said the student turnout was about a dozen short due to inclement weather. That left some streets without the informational door hangers. Those streets, including Windermere and Allenhurst, were visited on Sunday.

The program, held for at least six years, according to Fahey, is part of ongoing events by UB to educate students on safety. A safety fair held recently had 1,000 students in attendance, and it featured a live demonstration of a mini dorm room on fire, "drunk goggles" to demonstrate impairment and a crash simulator set up by the New York State troopers.

e-mail: jfinch@beenews.com