Slap bands?which many students remember as a childhood bracelet fashion fad in the late 1980s and early 1990s?will attempt a comeback next week when Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) and the Department of Safety and Security distributes Bowdoin-branded reflective versions of the bands to students.
This time the slap bands are less about fashion and more about safety. The reflective bands are designed to increase nighttime visibility for pedestrians.
The project is the result of a collaboration between Director of Safety and Security Randy Nichols and the BSG Facilities Committee, led by Will Donahoe '08.
The bands are typically worn on the wrist, but could also be worn on the ankle or upper arm. The spring-action bands wrap around one's wrist when slapped onto the arm.
"We wanted to have a safety device available to students that would be cool enough that they would actually think to wear when they go out," Donahoe said.
According to Donahoe, the bands have already been distributed to BSG members, security officers, and administrators, including President Barry Mills.
The bands will be distributed along with a pamphlet on campus security in Smith Union on Tuesday between 3:30 and 5:00 p.m. They will also be available at the security office.