MSU’s undergraduate student government is joining campus groups across the nation to raise awareness of and prevent sexual assault during the It’s On Us action week Nov. 9-14.
Activities planned during the week are part of a larger, ongoing commitment, said Domonique Clemons, president of Associated Students of Michigan State University.
“Sexual assaults happen on campus throughout the year, so we are committing ourselves to having the conversation throughout the year and not just one week,” Clemons said.
A number of activities are planned around campus to raise awareness and point out campus prevention and response resources.
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday: ASMSU will paint The Rock and provide information regarding It’s On Us to students. In addition to T-shirts and stickers, students also can sign the Rock.
- 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday: A “Dorm Storm on Campus” is planned in the five engagement centers across campus; ASMSU will hand out goodie bags to students and pass out information, encouraging them to take the It’s On Us pledge.
- 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 pm, Thursday: In Room 328A of the Student Services Building, ASMSU will host a student leaders roundtable that will address sexual assault and the climate surrounding this issue. Students are encouraged to come and discuss sexual assault on campus and where improvement is needed.
- During the week, there will be a Greek pledge drive; the fraternity or sorority that gets the most students to take the It’s On Us pledge will get a $2,000 donation from ASMSU ($1,000 for a philanthropy of their choice and $1,000 for MSU Safe Place in their name).
For more information about ongoing ASMSU efforts, go to http://www.itsonusmsu.org. The national campaign dovetails into MSU’s own awareness initiatives, including the No Excuse for Sexual Assault campaign launched in January 2013.
A White House task force launched It’s On Us in September 2014, aiming to enlist students to take personal responsibility for stopping sexual assault and ending the culture of victim blame. For more information, go to http://itsonus.org/.