By Zoe Rader
University Health Center peer leaders hosted “Speak Up,” an event to build a conversation centered around sexual assault and the #MeToo movement April 23 at The Board and Brew on Route 1.
The two-hour discussion included lessons led by peer leaders, poems performed by students and an interactive dialogue with the audience. The event was followed by an hour of free use of the 500-plus board games in the cafe.
Peer leaders are students who work for the Health Center to host events and give presentations on different lessons about sexual assault. They also educate student organizations and the University of Maryland community on the intersectionality of issues, said Maddie Kutzera, a senior public health science major.
Kutzera organized the “Speak Up” event along with three other peer leaders.
“We wanted to talk about something that was relevant,” she said. “We wanted to talk about sexual assault with the lens of self-care specifically during #MeToo.”
About 30 students, community members and UMD staff attended the event which offered Play-Doh, buttons and folders of information on on-campus resources. There was also a raffle for free coloring books, a gift card and a sweatshirt.
“I wanted to go … to support it and … see what gets brought to the table,” said Mason Jean, a history major and former employee of The Board and Brew. “I definitely want to see more of this happening.”
Sika Wheeler, a coordinator at the LGBT Equity Center, said she wanted to support the Health Center and learn more about campus resources that she can relay to students.
“I feel like I benefited from this just as a person,” Wheeler said. “I honestly think that in society those things are not ingrained in us, so being reminded and having this conversation is always good for me.”
Topics included how to offer support to survivors of sexual assault, the complexity of consent and the difference between dealing with the criminal justice system and healing victims.
“I like the way that they addressed the difference between the healing process versus the justice system,” Shika said. “I think when we talk about sexual assault on campus we really focus on the perpetrators and what happens with them, and we don’t think about the impact on people who are just living day-to-day as survivors.”
Kutzera hoped that students would gain concrete tips on self-care and empowerment from “Speak Up.” The event also contributes to the current dialogue of sexual assault on campus and all over the country.
Most recently on this campus, students occupied Mckeldin Mall for 12 hours on April 11 to raise awareness and provide a safe place for survivors of sexual assault.
“I think especially because celebrities are so influential with younger generations, and I guess older generations too, the #MeToo movement does have a ripple effect,” Jean said. “I think the more we make things that are popular about standing up to sexual assault, the better we’re going to see society handling these issues.”
Wheeler said she would like to see more conversation about sexual assault on our campus.
“I really don’t see that conversation happening nearly as much as it should to meet that mean,” she said. “I really don’t think that there is a campus-wide knowledge base about what to do about sexual assault even though almost all of us have been affected by it in some way.”
In the coming weeks, UHC peer leaders will publish their new wellness podcast, Kutzera said. The first episode will focus on sexual health.
Kutzera emphasized that she and the other UHC peer leaders ultimately seek to educate the campus on all aspects of mental and sexual health. Through events like “Speak Up,” peer leaders want to stress the importance of taking care of yourself, Kutzera said.
“The Health Center isn’t just where you go to get a shot because you’re sick,” she said. “We’re here to give you relevant programming that’s going to impact every aspect of your health.”