Healthy relationships and violence prevention will be the focus of Marywood University’s “It’s On Us” Healthy Relationships Week, which is scheduled for Monday, October 21, through Friday, October 25, 2019.

For the fifth year, Marywood University will be joining thousands of schools from across the country to take part in the national “It’s On Us” campaign to end relationship violence and sexual assault. “It’s On Us” is a growing nationwide cultural movement aimed at fundamentally shifting the way people think about sexual assault in a manner that inspires everyone to take responsibility to do something, whether big or small, to prevent it. The statistics of on-campus sexual assaults are staggering, including the statistics that one in five women and one in sixteen men will be sexually assaulted during her or his time on campus.

These weeklong events at Marywood University are sponsored by the Counseling/Student Development Center (C/SDC), Peers on Wellness (POW), and supported by Governor Tom Wolf’s “It’s on Us” Pennsylvania Grant program. The goal is to engage the Marywood community by raising awareness and providing educational materials to reinforce that everyone has a role in stopping sexual violence and creating healthy relationships.

Activities for the week include:

  • Monday, October 21, 2019, from 10 a.m. –12 p.m. – POW will provide an information table with materials about unhealthy versus healthy communication. This event will be followed by a documentary, The Dating Project, from 12 – 2 p.m., in the Comerford Theatre, at the Center for Natural and Health Sciences.
  • Tuesday, October 22, 2019, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the Learning Commons, POW will provide an information table about the effects of unhealthy build-up in a relationship. The C/SDC will then be facilitating an Escalation Training hosted by the One Love Foundation in the Comerford Theatre, from 7-10 p.m., at the Center for Natural and Health Sciences.
  • Wednesday, October 23, 2019, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the McGowan Center for Professional Studies, POW will provide materials about healthy vs. unhealthy friendships. The day will conclude with the C/SDC hosting a showing of the film, Mean Girls, followed by a thoughtful discussion on healthy friendships, at the Nazareth Student Center, in the Upper Main Dining Room, from 7 – 10 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 24, from 5 – 8:30 p.m., the C/SDC will host a dinner discussion and Bystander Engagement Workshop by showing the film, Intervene, followed by a discussion in the Latour Room. Additionally, POW will have an information table at the Student Activities Crew Carnival, which will take place in the Fireplace Lounge, Nazareth Student Center, from 7-9 p.m.
  • Friday, October 25, 2019, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the Learning Commons, pledge forms will be available for community members to take the promise of advocating for a safer campus community through the “It’s On Us” pledge.

For additional information about “It’s On Us” Healthy Relationships Week at Marywood University, please contact the Counseling/Student Development Center, at (570) 348-6245, or visit marywood.edu/csdc/index.html.