With spring break two weeks away, students can gain insight on keeping themselves safe by attending TV and radio personality Adam Ritz’s speech “Are You Invincible?” about his own experiences with spring break dangers concerning alcohol consumption and its effects.

Yvonne Giovanis, the associate director of the Alcohol and Drug Education Center, said Ritz will share information with students to help keep them safer on their spring break events.

Ritz speaks from experience. According to theindychannel.com, a local TV news website, Ritz was convicted of sexual battery in 2004 after his child’s baby sitter accused him of sexual assault. He was sentenced to six months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender.

Prior to his arrest, Ritz was a fraternity member and student athlete at Purdue University and worked for the NFL before becoming a TV and radio personality, Giovanis said.

After Ritz spoke at TCU last spring, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Don Mills wrote in a recommendation letter that he was impressed by Ritz’s message.

“It was one of the most effective presentations to students that I have heard during my 40 years working with students in higher education,” Mills wrote.

Mills wrote that several students have told him about the positive impact Ritz had on them after hearing him speak on alcohol use and abuse. Ritz is not trying to preach to students, because he understands college culture and mixes humor and seriousness in his speech, Mills wrote.

Giovanis said, “We got some really good feedback about Adam. We’ve been sending out a YouTube clip of [Indianapolis Colts quarterback] Peyton Manning talking about how impacted he was after Adam Ritz’s presentation, and we felt that would be very applicable to our student athletes.”

Giovanis said the event was open to the entire campus and that she expected about 400 students to attend Ritz’s speech. There will be a small reception afterward for students who want to speak to Ritz one-on-one, she said.

The event is part of The TCU Safe Spring Break Campaign, a national campaign that offers week-long events at colleges about spring break safety two weeks before break, Giovanis said.

“It focuses on things like responsible consumption of alcohol, safer sex, and responsible intimacy information,” Giovanis said. The campaign also will address “tips for leaving your home and sun and skin care,” she said.

Staff Reporter Emily Agee contributed to this report.

“Are You Invincible?” presentation by TV and radio personality Adam Ritz

When: 7 p.m. Monday

Where: Brown-Lupton University Union Ballroom