Why did the Blue Jay, the Oriole and the Raven cross
Charles Street? To get to the other side,
of course. But their winged migration wasn't just a flight
of fancy: The birds of a feather were
flocking together for their starring role in the latest
lighthearted public service poster by
Homewood's Office of Campus Safety
and Security Services, premiering in April.
There have been 12 posters in the series so far,
updated on a monthly basis in 16 buildings on
the campus, according to Ed Skrodzki, executive director of
Safety and Security Services. Skrodzki
said the goal is to raise crime prevention awareness by
providing a safety message in a relatable way.
With students as the target audience, each poster
delivers a serious message with a silly slogan
and eye-catching image, brainstormed during morning staff
meetings in his office. The posters draw
attention to some easy ways students and others can avoid
common mistakes that may make them a
mark for lurking ne'er-do-wells. One poster features two
young women, one holding a cell phone aloft
while staring curiously at a pink elephant lounging on
Levering Plaza. "If it doesn't look right, call
Security!" the poster cries. Another shows a laptop
computer with googly eyes, the university seal for
a nose on its "face" (the laptop's screen) and Photoshopped
legs strolling out of a student's room. Its
catchphrase: "A laptop doesn't just walk away ... Lock your
door!"
The stars of the posters are often decked out in
cumbersome animal costumes — besides the
elephant, there's a big furry cat burglar, a hungry brown
bear and an alligator — and they're always
Johns Hopkins students corralled at the last minute by
Skrodzki and his team. The overall effect of
the posters is like listening to somebody else's mildly
embarrassing dad deliver corny punch lines at a
party. Eyes are rolling, but people are paying attention,
and that's the whole point, Skrodzki said.
"The humor makes [students] respond to the posters
— we have received numerous positive
responses from students, as well as faculty and staff,
regarding the posters," Skrodzki said. "And
there has been a decrease in crime, which is due to several
crime prevention initiatives. The posters
are one of the initiatives, and I believe they certainly
contribute."
In preparation for the next poster, the Blue Jay and
his pals spent a chilly morning last week
strutting around the campus as a trio of avian ambassadors,
promoting the notion that there is safety
in numbers and that traveling in groups is a smart idea.
Photographers Will Kirk and Jay VanRensselaer
of Homewood Imaging and Photographic Services were there to
capture scenes set by Skrodzki and
Lt. Steve Ossmus, whom Skrodzki credits as the chief slogan
generator. The mascots ambled down the
hill, wing to wing to wing, in front of Homewood Museum.
They grinned in front of a Security van
parked in front of Mason Hall. They posed with staffers
outside Steinwald Alumni House. Look for the
winning pose to land on campus sometime next month.
All the posters — for those who missed them the
first time around — can be viewed online at:
www.jhu.edu/security/CrimePrevention_Posters.html
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