TCU will be participating in the “It’s On Us” initiative for the first time, with a week of events concerning the fight against sexual assault.
Beginning on Feb. 13, Student Government Association will be facilitating discussions and providing events across campus in order to bring awareness to the issue.
“It is a campaign designed with different days outlining who “us” is, with the different people responsible for saying no to sexual violence,” Student Body President John Paul Watson said. “So one day it will be police officers on campus, another it’s administration, another it’s students, and it all comes together as it’s on all of us to stand up.”
Student Body Vice President of External Affairs, Kelsey Ritchie, noted the importance of SGA reaching out to students in the TCU community.
“More than anything I want students to feel like they have a part in combating sexual assault,” Ritchie said. “I want students to just understand the complexity of sexual assault and also understand what our university is doing to fight it.”
The week of sexual assault awareness takes place in conjunction with all Big 12 schools in an effort to unite against sexual violence.
“This event shows a conference coming together and saying it’s on us to stop it but it’s also on us to reach out to students and let them know they have a place they can feel safe,” Ritchie said. “They should feel like they can come forward and we’re going to believe and support them.”
TCU has housed a similar event in the past called “Not On My Campus” but the decision was made to change the initiative this year with victims in mind.
“We shifted away from Not On My Campus because some of the rhetoric was unsettling to survivors,” Watson said. “It also gives the impression that this does not happen on our campus, and it does, it happens on every campus and it’s a problem. It’s unacceptable.”
For more information on how to get involved with “It’s On Us”, contact SGA representatives or visit the SGA website.
Big 12 Commissioner, Bob Bowlsby, discusses the “It’s On Us” campaign
