Participation in the "It's On Us" campaign part of a nationwide stand against sexual assault and domestic violence
By Thomas Mills '15 | February 10, 2015
If you’ve been around campus lately, you may have noticed something different. Amid the plethora of posters, announcements and event schedules lining the walls of the Batten Student Center, the words It’s On Us stand out prominently for the Virginia Wesleyan community to see. The phrase encapsulates a campaign launched by the White House in September 2014 that seeks to engage college students and members of campus communities nationwide in the fight against sexual assault and domestic violence.
In partnership with Generation Progress, the campaign aims to fundamentally shift the way people think about sexual assault and domestic violence and to inspire individuals to take personal responsibility in helping to prevent these crimes. Endorsed by mainstream celebrities like actor Jon Hamm and hip hop artist Common, the initiative has gained serious momentum. At the 2015 GRAMMY awards, President Obama delivered an important appeal message.
“It's on us, all of us, to create a culture where violence isn't tolerated, where survivors are supported, and where all our young people—men and women—can go as far as their talents and their dreams will take them," he told viewers.
Dean of Freshmen Jason Seward and Director of Residence Life McCarren Caputa brought the initiative to Virginia Wesleyan last fall when it launched, viewing it as an opportunity for important dialogue.
“The It’s On Us campaign has really focused on sharing people’s thoughts about sexual assault and how it’s impacted us,” says Seward. “It was something we could do very simply by talking with students, faculty and staff, by getting their thoughts and making it public.”
Posters across campus feature the strong sentiments of student leaders like R.J. Bonniwell ’16, who says It’s On Us has helped bring VWC’s student population together for a good cause.
“I am taking a stand against sexual violence because it is our job to enforce morals,” Bonniwell’s poster reads. “Sexual violence is the most immoral crime against humanity.”
Since its inception at VWC, the It’s On Us campaign has seen significant and positive reception. That reaction can mostly be attributed to the way the campaign was communicated, says Caputa.
“It’s passive and not in your face,” she says. “It’s nice to have other people talking about this. We've had students come to us and ask, ‘How can we get involved?’”
While the initial stages of the campaign have been successful, in order to make a lasting impact at VWC, It’s On Us will need to be a community effort led by students.
“It’s awesome that students have said ‘We’re not going to take this,’” Caputa says. “Students are pushing it forward.”
Seward and Caputa plan to expand the initiative at VWC in the near future, maintaining one of the campaign's most important aspects: unity.
“We don’t want to see a small group of people taking the lead and moving this forward,” says Seward. “We want to see the community as the solution, the awareness and education process. The more we can unite in this and say, ‘This isn’t OK in our communities; this isn’t OK period,’ the better off we’ll be.”
Take the It's On Us pledge to help prevent sexual assault