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CU-Boulder student group encourages safe partying for peersDec 20, 2012 (Colorado Daily - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- With only a few days of finals left and the end of the semester approaching, University of Colorado students have a few reasons to celebrate this weekend. As students get together for house parties to celebrate, a group of CU students is hoping their "Party on Boulder, but Safely" campaign will help keep peers out of trouble. CU students Jayme Ramirez, Duncan Lowder, Bryce Laird, Vanessa Weygandt and Chris Fichman recently launched partysafeboulder.weebly.com with party tips gathered from local authorities and advice from personal experiences. "I lived in Will Vill my freshmen year and almost everyone on the floor got an MIP (minor in possession of alcohol) that year, except me," Fichman said. "A lot of my friends got MIPs from having an open container because they didn't realize that would get them in trouble." The website includes tips to help student parties low-key, the students said. Some of the tips include registering a party through CU's Off-Campus Housing and Neighborhood Relations program, designating a non-drinking host and keeping guests indoors to reduce noise. Many of the tips came from Boulder or university police and the party registration program, which alerts authorities about the party and provides students with a warning before they're ticketed for noise and nuisance complaints. The students said they're hoping their peers will pay more attention to the tips on their website since it comes from fellow students, rather than local police or campus officials. "This site is for students, from students," Fichman said Boulder Police spokeswoman Kim Kobel said the website is full of helpful tips for students, especially when it comes to interacting with authorities. "If the police do show at a party, be respectful in your interactions with them," Kobel said. "They are going to give you time to correct the situation if they feel like they can." Ramirez said communication with police was one of the tips she thought would be most helpful to students. "In the case that you do end up encountering the police, being nice to them can make a big difference," Ramirez said. "I think if students realized before they got in trouble how much that could help them, they might be better about it." Kobel said another good tip from the site is to know your party guests. "We've had many cases where strangers are ripping off people at parties," Kobel said. "We've seen lots of wallets, cell phones, purses and laptops stolen from parties. "You want to have people you trust in your house, and if you don't know them, it's ok to ask who they are and who invited them." The students said they are not trying to discourage other students from partying, only to encourage them do it safely. "We're students who like to party, too," Ramirez said. "We just think you can do it without getting thrown in detox." - Follow Whitney Bryen on Twitter: @SoonerReporter. ___ (c)2012 the Colorado Daily (Boulder, Colo.) Visit the Colorado Daily (Boulder, Colo.) at www.coloradodaily.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |