When thinking about a “day party,” typically there are games, an abundance of people and alcohol, but this one was different.

The DDarty in the Library Quad was centered around a campus event that took place over the course of several days, safety week.

The name implied with the two Ds, it was a dry, day party, that focused on keeping people safe and spreading awareness on topics like alcohol and sexual assault.

It featured golf cart driving while wearing drunk goggles, line tests by officers from the EIU Police Department, water pong, root beer kegs and safety tips.

The day party was the final event of the week. A Safety Walk and Safety Bingo kicked everything off on Monday, followed by Coffee with a Cop, Safe Zone Training, Safety Training, and other events that highlight and prioritize the safety and lives of students on campus.

“I mean, safety is just so important,” said Jasmin Yusef, an english and philosophy major, and the chair of the University Enhancement Committee. “You can’t stop people from doing the things that they want to do, right. I think that we’re all adults. We all make the decisions we want to, but I think that we don’t have to make them without being mindful of ourselves and other people around us.”

Lucy Ade, Eastern Illinois University student body president, said bridging the gap between the students at EIU and the police department could help make the campus community more comfortable with one another.

She also said she liked how the events drew students in and combined fun with learning.

“I think events like this really help students because they see it, and it looks weird, or it looks interesting, and they’re like, ‘What is happening?’ They see two giant kegs on the table, and they’re like, ‘What is this? This is cool,” Ade said. “So I think that visual spectacle gets students there, and then we can do the teaching once they’re there, because officers are teaching them about the tests and how they work.”

The week was filled with more than just big events though, it also was filled with small, but prominent reminders that were given out to students throughout campus.

This was done by the committee, who handed out safety tips on the wrappers of water bottles and even on coffee cups, Yusef said.

That way, students could physically read the tips and reminders as well, instead of just being told.

The committee also handed out date rape kits, so people could test their alcoholic beverages at parties or other get togethers and make sure there is nothing wrong with their drinks.

“If we can give them the tools to just be as safe as possible, then we can rest easy knowing we did all we could with providing them information on how to just be careful,” Yusef said. “I think that’s like the main thing that we tried to express.”

Jenna Minor can be reached at 581-2812  or at jeminor@eiu.edu.