Editor, the Gauntlet,

Hello U of C!

I'd like to let you know about a significant change to Safewalk this year-- we're walking off campus for the first time since our program's inception in 1995! This is a big step for our organization and we're pleased to be able to provide the service to our U of C community.

We do have some geographical boundaries however. We can walk you as far north as 40th Avenue, as far east as 24th Street at Morley Trail or just on the other side of Crowchild, and as far south as 16th Avenue. To the west, we'll walk you right up to Shaganappi Trail. We can take you to the closer half of the Brentwood parking lot and we'll walk you to the Moxie's entrance of Market Mall.

If your destination is beyond our range, we can walk you up to the boundary-- we may not have the resources to hike with you to Ranchlands, but why not feel safer for the first bit of your journey?

Another point you'll need to know is that these off-campus walks are available during specific hours-- you can still get an on-campus Safewalk 24 hours a day, but our extended-range walks are available between 5 p.m. and 1 a.m., Monday through Saturday and between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Sunday nights.

Secondly, I ask you this: was this the year you told yourself that you were going to get more involved on campus? Has this semester flown by and you still think that it was September last week? Haven't gotten around to signing up for anything yet?

It's not too late to volunteer for Safewalk. We only ask that you commit to 12 hours a month, in three four-hour shifts. Not only are you helping the campus community live and learn in a safe, comfortable environment, but you're getting a bit of exercise, earning tuition credit and you could win our spring scholarship!

You don't need to be tough-- all Safewalk volunteers sign a non-intervention contract. Your role merely involves walking, being friendly and meeting new people. Please e-mail us with questions, or if you're ready to apply, please send us a resume and cover letter. Also, if you're not sure if your house or destination is within our boundaries, you can ask any on-duty Safewalk team, you can call 403-220-5333 or, if you don't need the answer immediately, you can e-mail safewalk@ucalgary.ca. Finally, you can check our website's map at ucalgary.ca/security/safewalk.

Good luck with finals, papers and projects!