When it comes to discussing COVID-19 with college students, communications from students might be the best strategy. Such is the mindset of a bold student-run public health campaign at Boston University. Campus is home to students. It’s where we feel safe, valued, and heard, so it is paramount for our peers to follow protocols that make a safe on-campus experience possible. We introduced “F*ck It Won’t Cut It,” a student-to-student public health campaign that encourages and explains protocols in the candid language students use daily.
Backed with the university’s support, our campaign emphasizes that we can’t say “F-it” to the health and safety guidelines that protect ourselves and our community. Our team plans to stop students in their tracks at decision points each day. Not only has the campaign generated more than 5,800 followers in two months on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, but our messaging also lives on in digital signage on buildings and ball fields, decals in bathrooms and elevators, wraps on the Boston University bus, stickers, T-shirts, and more.
Feedback from our target audience has been overwhelmingly supportive, and, as of Oct. 19, Boston University’s COVID-19 positivity rate is below the Massachusetts average at 0.11%. The campaign is a bold approach that hopefully breaks through the noise of routine COVID-19 communications, and shows that young adults take the virus seriously. It is clear that a symbiotic relationship with Boston University allows our team to take creative risks that resonate with students, and inspire our peers to act safely.
