By Brianna Wallen
News Editor
A campus-wide HandsOnly CPR Challenge is underway at the university. Interim President Sandra Bulmer and the American Heart Association is encouraging students, faculty and staff to take part in the challenge to compete and test their lifesaving skills.
Now through Nov. 6, participants can visit the mobile CPR kiosk on the first floor of Buley Library to learn and practice hands-only CPR while tracking their performance in real time.
“In just a few minutes, you can learn a lifesaving skill and show your Owl pride while doing it,” Bulmer said in a campuswide announcement on Oct. 21.
According to the American Red Cross, a 2024 report revealed that emergency medical services treat more than 350,000 people each year in the United States for non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and nearly 90%of those incidents are fatal.
Efforts such as the CPR Challenge are essential in preparing individuals to respond effectively during emergencies. Research shows that immediate CPR can triple a person’s chance of survival, reinforcing the importance of learning these lifesaving skills.
The friendly competition aims to boost campus preparedness and empower more people to act with confidence in cardiac emergencies.
“By making CPR training quick, accessible and free, the Hands-Only CPR kiosk helps close that gap and empowers everyday people to become lifesavers,” Bulmer said.
The kiosk provides a self-guided video lesson where participants can practice CPR on a training manikin and receive instant feedback on their technique and compression quality.
This includes a practice session and a 30-second test to ensure that the procedure is performed correctly.
Bulmer invites participants to take a selfie with the kiosk screen after completing their CPR training, then submit the Microsoft Form with their photo and title as either an employee or student.
The challenge adds a competitive twist for both staff and students.
Union employees can compete to see which group can get the most participants, while students will go head-tohead to earn the highest participation through their clubs, organizations and academic programs.
The winners will be awarded specially designed university and AHA T-shirts.
“Don’t just join the challenge — be part of a movement that could help save lives,” Bulmer said.
Finance major Danejah Thomas, a junior, said that she immediately tried out the CPR kiosk when she came across it.
“I tried it three weeks ago with my friend, and it was fun and very informative,” Thomas said.
Thomas also emphasized how innovative having a CPR training on campus is for students to utilize and learn from.
“I think it is super cool and needed to bring awareness to how important CPR really is,” Thomas said.
The Hands-Only CPR Mobile Kiosk is only available on campus until Nov. 6, so Bulmer urges students to act now.
“By showing up, learning the steps and sharing your participation, you’re helping Southern fulfill its mission as a community-centered, health-forward and equity-driven institution,” Bulmer said.
