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Dozens of students gathered on the front lawn of Blair Hall to make the pledge stating “It’s On Us,” to put an end to sexual violence.
President Steven M. Corey, Ph. D., kicked off the Aug. 27 evening event by introducing a nationwide initiative. Linda Logan, vice president and dean for Student Life, also provided a brief overview on the “It’s On Us” movement.
“‘It’s On Us’ is a cry out; it is a rally that invites people to step up and realize that putting an end to sexual violence starts with us. Too many students, predominantly women, are assaulted during their college years; these are situations where there are often others who could and should be able to intervene at some point along the way,” Corey said. The “It’s On Us” campaign acknowledges that we can all work to change the cultural expectations where it’s expected that we’ll intervene to protect both women and men in these situations, rather than stand idly by,” he said.
Students and staff also shared their opinions on the “It’s On Us” rally.
“It was really inspiring, and I really felt as if the message was focused a lot on the men which, a lot of the times, are the ones who need to be addressed, the movement was really impactful,” said junior Mona Hinamanu.
When asked if he thought this initiative would minimize sexual violence on campus and the number of reports Campus Safety receives, Campus Safety Cadet Rayshad Anderson said, “I believe it will because the movement was pushed upon our students and the community.”
As he concluded his address, Corey sharpened the scope on sexual violence, stating the importance of not ignoring the problem affecting society, but rather counteracting it with accountability and prompt intervention.
“My goal is to bring this issue into the light so that we can all see it for what it is: wrong and unacceptable. Men must step up and do what’s right for both the women in our society and for their friends. We must agree that we’ll intervene when necessary to help prevent assault from happening,” Corey said.