UC Davis distributes free school pride face masks to students and staff
UC Davis will distribute thousands of branded face coverings this fall as part of an effort to boost compliance with public health guidelines. Although Davis will be emptier than usual this year given that most activities have shifted online, students and employees who are on campus will be asked to follow pandemic rules — and encouraged to do so while showing school spirit.
Some of the masks will be included in welcome kits alongside hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, a thermometer and a device to help people open doors without touching them, wrote Julia Ann Easley, a media relations specialist at UC Davis, in an email to The Sacramento Bee. Students living on campus can get their pandemic goody bags as they move into residence halls, while those residing off campus can pick up their packets at a location yet to be determined.
Only a small percentage of the Davis student population will live on campus this year and most instruction will take place online.
Davis is one of many universities distributing school logo face masks this month. UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz confirmed in emails to The Sacramento Bee that they are also giving out welcome kits with branded masks and sanitizing materials to students returning to campus. Across the country, large schools including Indiana University and Ohio State University distributed branded face coverings as well.
Universities said they hope to encourage students and employees to follow practices that help prevent the spread of COVID-19. They’ve tried to mix a touch of fun into a more serious push to promote public health.
UC Santa Cruz masks read “Slug Strong,” said Scott Hernandez-Hason, the university’s director of news and media relations. The “slug strong” campaign references the school’s banana slug mascot and will promote coronavirus safety practices like physical distancing and mask wearing.
At Davis, Easley said the branded face coverings “will also be used as incentive items for various contests and engagement opportunities through the fall quarter.”
In addition to giving free masks to students and employees on campus, universities are selling a wide array of mask designs in their bookstores. As face masks secure their place as a wardrobe staple, schools have made sure branded masks are just as accessible as branded sweatshirts and coffee mugs.