Party animals campaign to educate students about health, safety

In one Facebook video, Sam, the plastic cheetah, had a rough night. Perry, a plastic elephant, gives her advice to avoid a bad hangover.

In another, Ed, the plastic dog, talks to Perry about the dangers of unsafe sex.

In a print advertisement in the Indiana Daily Student, a flock of plastic creatures urges readers to pick a designated driver.

On Twitter, the animals banter back and forth about weekend plans and hanging out on campus.

These animals are part of IU’s newest “Street Smart” campaign to help educate students about personal health, campus safety, social life and mental health.

“We continue to look for ways to connect with students and inform them about the importance of being safe and watching out for each other,” IU Bloomington Dean of Students Harold Goldsmith said in a prepared statement. “I am encouraged that students are relating to this campaign in a positive way and that we are able to promote the various support and emergency services on the Bloomington campus.”

The snarky animals were dreamt up by student interns in the communications office with help from campus administration, the Dean of Students office, the IU Police Department and the Bloomington Police Department.

The four main animals are Minnie the panda, Ed the dog, Hank the giraffe and Fred the bull. Each have their own Twitter accounts and interact on the “Street Smart Party Animals” Facebook page.

University officials hope the animals will educate students about how to be a “party animal” while still being safe on and off campus.

“While this is one of the safest communities in the United States, bad things can happen anywhere,” IUPD Chief of Police Keith Cash said in a prepared statement. “The ‘Street Smart Program’ will help emphasize such safety.”

— Charles Scudder