Group hands out whistles

Some students leaving Saturday's basketball game were handed something extra - safety whistles, designed by Crimson Karma, a student-led initiative began by Terry Saban designed to create campus unity.

The whistles, which are black and give off a high-pitched sound, can be used as a keychain. Laken Laird, director of Crimson Karma and a junior majoring in political science, said the whistles are part of one of Crimson Karma's projects to promote campus and personal safety among students.

"The goal of Crimson Karma is to create awareness on campus for students for themselves, for other people around campus, for the community of Tuscaloosa and for the environment," Laird said.

Louise Crow, SGA communications director, said handing the whistles out to students is a proactive way to help keep students safe.

"Anyone can have one," Crow said. "But of course we targeted women. Safety issues affect everyone on campus."

Crow said this was a way to combine the University's resources - Crimson Karma worked with the SGA, the Women's Resource Center and UA administration to make the whistles available to students.

"One thing we really wanted to do was to give girls some type of thing to feel safe," Crow said. "Not everyone is comfortable carrying Mace around, so we decided to give out these safety whistles. They're discreet and simple."

Ruth Garrett, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, said she was handed a whistle after the game, but said she's not sure just how effective the whistle will be.

"I put mine on my keychain, but if I was getting attacked or being raped, I don't think it would actually help me," Garrett said. "It's not very loud."

Garrett said she has heard of other universities providing noise makers for students to use if they were in a state of emergency.

"Mace is always good, too," Garrett said. "But it might not be great if everyone was spraying Mace everywhere."

Anna Mugg, a junior majoring in exercise science, said she got a whistle after the game as well, but did not know what its specific purpose was at first.

"I think [Crimson Karma] should have explained what they were for as they were handing them out," Mugg said. "That would have been more effective."

Mugg said she didn't think the whistle was loud either, but the message Crimson Karma was promoting is a good one.

"I think it's a good idea," she said. "It has the potential to be effective. I wouldn't say that in every circumstance that they would actually help. It doesn't always indicate a state of emergency when you hear a whistle."

Crow said Crimson Karma began as an initiative led by Terry Saban at the beginning of the semester. She said Saban, the SGA and UA administrators met in the spring semester of 2007 to discuss the idea.

"We brainstormed ideas and came up with 'The good you do comes back to you,'" Crow said.

Crow said as of now, 2,000 whistles had been ordered, but Crow said if students say they want them, more can be ordered.

"My hope is that this thing catches on and girls hear about it, and that we get to order more and more and more," Crow said. "I feel like any girl that wants one should be able to have one."

Laird said Crimson Karma passed out whistles to anyone who wanted them after the game, not just women. She said about 500 were passed out altogether.

The whistles were purchased with the help of Associate Provost Judy Bonner, Laird said.

Campus safety is not the first project that the new organization has put together.

Laird said Crimson Karma does two projects a semester. The first project Crimson Karma did was to help freshman adjust to on-campus life. They focused on moving new students into residence halls, welcoming them to campus and helped with adjusting to the CrimsonRide.

Laird said next semester Crimson Karma will focus on personal health and environmental awareness.

Laird said the Women's Resource Center and the University of Alabama Police Department will be sources for students who want to get a safety whistle.

To find out more about Crimson Karma, visit the program's Web site at www.ua.edu/karma.