Organizations that focus on campus safety will hold a Safety Fair today to educate students and faculty about the safety resources available year around.

The Safety Fair, which is sponsored by ASUA Safe Ride, Campus Acquaintance Rape Educators and the Women's Resource Center, will be held on the UA Mall from 11 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Josh Wright, director of Safe Ride, said he wanted a way for students to easily find out about the safety resources on campus, which is why he and representatives from CARE and WRC created the Safety Fair and invited organizations in the community to participate.

Wright, a psychology and religious studies senior, said organizations at the fair will each have a booth and be ready to speak with students, answer questions and hand out brochures. Students and faculty who attend will receive a free safety whistle, doughnuts and hot chocolate.

Booths will include the UA Police Department, the Brewster Center, the Oasis Program, Wingspan, Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, and Parking and Transportation Services, which will all be providing information to students and faculty.

"We want to really make sure students and faculty are aware of the many, many safety resources. They aren't aware of what we have here just on campus," Wright said.

The Safety Fair is at the perfect time for students to be safety-conscious, Wright said, because of recent incidents on campus such as the man who entered a shower in Apache-Santa Cruz residence hall and a student who was raped outside her home just north of campus.

Andrea Merkley, a physiological sciences freshman, said she will attend the Safety Fair to get more information on how to stay safe because she's heard about recent campus crimes.

"I just want to know what's been going on lately," she said.

Merkley said she keeps safe on campus at night by riding her skateboard and carrying pepper spray.

"I get weird looks but if anyone messes with me, I've got a 47-inch swing with my board," she said.

Wright said although he thinks UAPD does a good job of keeping campus secure, students still need to take the initiative to educate themselves on safety.

"A lot of times people aren't aware that things can happen to them. We want people to be aware there is someplace to go if something does happen," he said.

Wright said people are naive when it comes to safety and think they don't need to report problems. Men especially don't feel the need to report problems or use the campus resources, he said.

"It's important to play it safe, men and women," Wright said.

Julie Zausmer, a nutrition science freshman, said she was sexually assaulted in high school and always takes precautions when she is out at night on campus.

She said she walks with a male friend and carries her cell phone in case of an emergency.

"I also know how to dislocate a kneecap," Zausmer said.

She said dark streets and hearing gunshots and police sirens remind her campus is not the safest place.

"It makes you just want to stay in the dorms. It gets you scared to go outside," she said.

Wright said he hopes the Safety Fair will continue over the years because students need to know safety programs are readily available.

Matt Binford, a political science sophomore, said he had heard of Safe Ride but wasn't aware of other student-geared safety programs on campus.

"I pay about $6,000 a semester; it's good to see something to benefit the students," he said.