With Spring Break coming soon, WSU’s Division of Student Affairs is providing safety tips and support to students so they can stay safe.

Cougar Health Services, WSU’s Women*s Center, Cougar Food Pantry and other organizations around campus offer free sexual health supplies to practice safe sex, according to an email from Student Affairs.

Jiayi Guo, junior hospitality business management major, said it is important that students are informed about sexual health.

“Knowing about birth control is a way for us to protect ourselves and a manifestation of our responsibility to ourselves,” she said.

According to the email, Student Affairs also reminded students to be mindful of setting personal limits if they drink alcohol. The WSU Good Samaritan Guideline is a great resource for getting help.

The Good Samaritan Guideline ensures students receive prompt and appropriate attention in the event of alcohol or drug intoxication, according to the guideline website.

Excessive drinking causes approximately 95,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. This includes binge drinking, heavy drinking and any drinking by pregnant women or those younger than age 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Sarah Morfin, sophomore political science and anthropology double major, said she does not consume any alcohol to remain safe.

“I feel like it is good to have a safe limit because you don’t want something really bad to happen,” she said.

According to Student Affairs, using the buddy system to let family and friends know where you are and having a plan to reconnect if you get separated is a big component to staying safe.

Yanlei Song, senior computer science major, said he has his family members in the Apple Family Plan, which allows them to see each other’s locations if needed.

“They don’t have to keep asking me where I am, which is really convenient,” he said.

Guo said she also uses an app — Zenly — to convey important information to her family. The app can show them her phone’s battery level so that they will not worry if they reach out and cannot reach her because the phone is dead.

“If I feel I need some privacy, I will freeze my location at any time, just don’t make yourself feel uncomfortable,” Guo said.

Another safety concern to take into account for spring break is sickness. According to Student Affairs, everyone should continue to self-monitor for COVID-19 illness and get tested if they develop any symptoms.

Katie Richardson, freshman criminal justice and criminology major, said she is not concerned about traveling for spring break. However, she does plan on wearing a mask for the first two days to keep her grandma safe.

On the flip side, Guo said she is fairly concerned to travel when COVID-19 is still an issue.

“I’m not sure if I’m going to cancel my travel plans,” she said. “I think I will continue to pay attention to that, and I am going to wear masks when traveling.”