Jessica Nguyen
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On April 6, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) will be hosting a weeklong “It’s On Us” event at the Julian A. McPhee University Union (building 65) focusing on the topic of sexual assault and violence awareness.
“ASI really chose to have an event like this because we realized we didn’t really have a place on this issue,” said Jana Colombini, Board of Directors for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) member and agricultural science sophomore. “This is such a big issue, so we decided to take it on and see what we can do.”
Each event day will focus on a word of the pledge for sexual assault awareness: recognize, identify, intervene and create. Those who take the pledge on Monday will receive a free T-shirt.
ASI hopes to gather at least 600 pledges.
“Recognize that sexual assault is an issue at Cal Poly,” Colombini said. “Sexual assault does exist. It’s on us to intervene.”
In addition to Monday’s events, there will be a presentation called “Sex Signals Speaking Engagement” at Chumash Auditorium (building 65, room 205) at 7 p.m.
Other organizations involved with “It’s On Us” week are Safer, PULSE, Center for Community Engagement, Cal Poly Athletics and greek life.
“It’s on each person to intervene, to speak up, to say something, to stop hurting, to be the change,” Safer coordinator Christina Kaviani said. “It’s not one program or one organization’s responsibility; it’s the whole campus’ responsibility.”
On Tuesday, greek life will take charge of focusing on identifying assault issues. There will also be a spoken-word performance in the UU Plaza.
Cal Poly Athletics will have game booths related to the topic of intervening on Wednesday. There will also be a free self-defense class on Dexter Lawn.
Thursday will focus on creating a more positive Cal Poly environment for sexual assault victims, Colombini said.
“We’ll just create this change of students, this pack of students who want to resolve this issue,” Colombini said.
The event gives Cal Poly a chance to take a stand on sexual assault awareness.
“I think we need to use the momentum of all the news coverage, films being made, people that are speaking up about it to really use that to leverage us to take a stand as our university Cal Poly,” Kaviani said. “‘It’s On Us’ week is another opportunity for us to take the ownership of creating systems at the university that help change the outcome of sexual assault happening.”