It’s On Us is a national organization, with a chapter recently being formed at Millersville University. The organization has the goal of spreading awareness and creating conversations around sexual violence, along with creating an end to sexual violence on college campuses.
It’s On Us was formed in 2014 as a public awareness campaign of the Obama administration. The nonprofit program came to fruition following recommendations from the White House Task force to prevent sexual assault, and has since grown into the United States’ largest nonprofit dedicated to sexual assault prevention on college campuses.
Millersville University, along with other college chapters, works to provide education about sexual assault, consent, bystander intervention, and survibor support.
“We also have a pledge that we ask students to take that says that you align with our mission and our efforts to create a safer campus environment here at Millersville,” said Bella Stewart, the president of MU’s It’s On Us chapter
Stewart also explained that the organization works closely with Millersville’s Title IX office, alongside Title IX coordinator & Labor Relations Manager Miguel Pereira III, who also serves as advisor of the chapter. Stewart emphasized that his support and help was necessary for the club’s formation and continued activism.
Lily Crowell, vice president of the chapter, shared the overall importance of colleges, including Millersville, having this organization.
“It’s honestly an important organization for Millersville, and for students,” Crowell said. “It provides students with a safe space and access to resources and education about a very serious issue that is very prominent on college campuses.”
The organization is also important for the University and the surrounding community, due to the murder of freshman Karlie Hall in Bard Hall in 2015 during a domestic dispute.
The chapter hopes to continue spreading awareness about sexual assault, along with continuing to provide resources and getting students to sign their pledge. They also hope to host their own event to bring awareness to this topic.
“The next semester I know we’re hoping to have a big event called, “Take Back the Night”, hopefully which will be run by It’s On Us,” said chapter Secretary Emily Moyer. “I’m going to keep the rest a secret for now, because we haven’t gotten too deep in the planning, and I don’t want to promise anything that won’t happen, but it’s going to be cool.”
