After a successful drive to gain student support for the “It’s on us” campain, organizers are preparing for a week of events that will allow students to show their support to stop sexual assault and harassment.

In order to create a new culture of support, Student Wellness Services is sponsoring a Mentors in Violence Prevention Workshop tonight at 6:30 p.m in Room 002 of Sabin Hall.  This workshop seeks to give college students experience in preventing violence and advice as to what to do when witnessing dangerous situations through interactive discourse.

Additional events include a discussion panel viewing sexual assault and domestic violence through a cultural lens hosted by the Women’s and Gender Studies program on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 4:30 in the Center for Multicultural Education, and an interactive performance about victim blaming by the Campus Activity Board in Lang Hall’s auditorium on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.

Alan Heisterkamp, director of Mentors in Violence Prevention, said the “It’s on us” is the latest addition to UNI’s growing movement towards greater sexual assault awareness and prevention. 

MVP targets the culture of silent bystanders. According to Heisterkamp, most perpetrators of this crime rely on the fact that sexual assault remains one of the most unreported crimes. Universities have largely ignored this —UNI seeks to enact change with the “It’s on Us” campaign. 

The National “It’s on Us” campaign reached the University of Northern Iowa Oct. 20; according to an emailed report, on that day alone, over 600 individuals pledged in the hemisphere lounge of Mauker Union to help stop sexual assault.

The goal of this campaign, according to their website, www.uni.edu/itsonus, is to create a force of educated people who actively participate in speaking out against such violence. It focuses on the idea that victims are never responsible for their own victimization; the culture around colleges and universities should condemn such acts of violence and show only support for victims.  

UNI’s “It’s on us” website states 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while at college. UNI is doing locally what the larger campaign did nationally—spreading support.

Students may visit the website or come to the pledge signing today any time from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the Wellness and Recreation Center to demonstrate their commitment to this goal.

Senior study of religion major Kelli Larson took the pledge Oct. 20 and agrees with the campaign that sex crimes must come to an end.

“‘It’s on us’ gives those who take the pledge the necessary tools to identify sexual assault, intervene before it happens and create a safe place for survivors,” Larson said. “As a human being, it is important to me that I do my best to end sexual assault and I need tools to do this. I do not want to contribute to the problem by being a bystander, I want to help create a solution.”

Other UNI organizations supporting this movement on campus are the Wellness Center, MVP, the Women’s and Gender Studies program and SAVE Students for a Safe Campus. 

Amandajean Nolte, director of SAVE, gave this statement: “’It’s on us’ gives our campus community the chance to speak out and thwart the negative cultural norms that too often surround sexual assault. It gives us the chance to gather together and state our commitment to creating a safe campus.”

Heisterkamp says spreading information and creating a safer environment for voicing support for victims will empower more to come forward about their experiences.

“We all play a part in preventing this,” Heisterkamp said.