On Monday, MSU's It's On Us chapter hosted its "Crafting in Community" event at the library, marking the second installment in its ongoing It's On Us Week of Action.
Jodie Goodman, a prevention education manager for the Prevention, Outreach and Education Department (POE) at MSU, helped run the event on Monday and discussed the purpose of these events.
"It’s On Us is a week of events every semester that highlights how everyone in the MSU community can contribute to gender-based violence prevention," Goodman said.
The event was organized by It’s On Us, a national organization that allows universities and nonprofits to establish chapters. MSU is home to one of the oldest chapters, with the initiative originally launched in 2014 during the Obama administration.
This year's Week of Action is sponsored by MSU POE, the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety, MSU Center for Survivors and the Associated Students of MSU.
From 2–4 p.m., MSU students participated in multiple activities aimed at preventing gender-based violence and honoring its victims. The event invited students to write letters that will be given to people who utilize Center for Survivor resources, contribute to a community art project bulletin board, and take part in mindful coloring, all as forms of advocacy and healing.
The bulletin board in particular asked people what they could do to prevent gender-based violence, both at MSU and in their hometowns.
"Be a safe space and speak up!" one read. "Listen and take action," read another.
One of the most striking features of the stand was an art installation titled "The Empty Chair." A nearby sign explained its significance: "The Empty Chair symbolizes the absence left behind when relationship violence or sexual misconduct causes MSU community members to change their trajectory — by taking time off, transferring, or leaving the program early."
"We’re hoping that it brings awareness to the seriousness of the impact of gender-based violence, but also that it directs people to resources," Goodman said.
Economics senior Sonali Aheer first learned about the event through the table tents placed around campus and took part by writing a letter that will be shared with a survivor through the Center for Survivors.
"Gender-based violence is still such a serious issue," Aheer said.
"While it is getting more awareness, sometimes it feels like it is not taken as seriously, and we still don’t have a proper support system to give to survivors,” Aheer said. "We have to teach people about consent."
Earlier Monday, It's On Us started the week off by hosting a "Survivors Matter Kickoff Café" outside of Old’s Hall.
The It’s On Us committee will host six more events throughout this week, each one dedicated to raising awareness about preventing gender-based violence. The main event is a carnival and resource fair that will take place in the Brody Courtyard on April 9 starting at noon.
"There are advocates and therapists and groups at the Center for Survivors in particular at MSU but also in other organizations that are there to help," Goodman said.
The events for the rest of the week include:
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