By Casey Glickman
The University of Maryland’s health-focused organization, Campus Advocates Respond and Educate to Stop Violence (CARE), held an information session on Thursday about their peer programs to get students involved in addressing issues of power-based violence on campus.
Members of the Peer Outreach Program ran the table at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, answering questions from interested students and sharing stories of impact from their experience working with CARE.
Virti Choksi, a senior public health major, joined CARE’s peer outreach program last fall in hopes of creating change on an issue she is passionate about: public health.
“Being part of this program has helped me realize that there’s so many ways to make a difference, even if you are just one student,” Choksi said.
CARE is a free advocacy and resource center for students experiencing issues of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and sexual harassment. In being a part of one of CARE’s three peer programs – peer education, advocacy and outreach – students enter a year-long commitment to learn about power-based violence and support survivors on campus.
As an outreach peer, Choksi helps spread awareness about CARE’s resources and gain support for their work through various events. She sees student involvement in these peer programs as imperative to drive change.
“Knowing what the student body needs and being a voice to them is really important to amplify their specific needs,” Choksi said.
Members of the three peer programs help to plan and execute CARE events throughout the year, whether it’s Purple Light Night, The Clothesline Project, or Take Back the Night. It is during these events that members of the peer outreach program said they were able to connect with students and feel they were making an impact.
Julia Pott, a senior psychology major and outreach peer, remembers a conversation she had during the Purple Light Night event earlier this year. While speaking with someone concerned about the state of their friend’s relationship, Pott was able to provide a sense of support.
“I was just talking them through it and giving them a little bit of advice about how to approach that situation,” Pott said. “I was just really happy that they were able to talk and hopefully help her friend in that process.”
Purple Light Night, an event marked by purple lights illuminating the Memorial Chapel, is just one of the many events peer program members put on each year to advocate for survivors of relationship violence and educate the campus community.
“These are issues that are very prevalent on campus, and a lot of people have first-hand experience with [it],” said Charlotte Smyles, a senior psychology major and outreach peer. “It’s very rewarding to be a voice for them and be a resource.”
While Choksi, Pott and Smlyes work to spread awareness and get more students involved in the next year of programs, they also hope to create lasting change on campus.
For Choksi, impact begins with changing the campus culture around sexual violence. This includes addressing issues of catcalling, reducing stigma and providing more resources for students.
“Putting out more resources to protect students and being a part of the solution instead of perpetuating the problem,” Choksi said.
For Smyles, change starts with combating issues of victim-blaming and working to change the narrative so victims never have to feel shame. Even for students who do not have the time to commit to the year-long peer program, Smyles emphasizes that they can still make a difference.
“No act is too small,” Smyles said. “Utilizing the tools and strategies in your real lived experiences, I feel like that is how we will create change.”
Featured Image: Outreach peer, Virti Choksi, running CARE information table at STAMP Student Union. Photo by Joseph Conaty.