With Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention week well underway, we talked to Simone Yaghi — the Executive Board Director of Penn State’s Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Roundtable. Yaghi has been involved in SVAP since fall of 2015 and hopes to see Penn State focus on outreach about bystander intervention even more in the future.
HC: What is the Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Roundtable and SVAP week?
SY: The Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Roundtable meets bi-weekly from October to April to connect organizations and centers off and on campus that are already part of the fight against Sexual Violence, provide resources for survivors and those affected, or want to be further involved in the cause. We collaborate on different organization’s events and projects while planning for the yearly Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Week at the end of March! SVAP Week 2017 runs from Thursday March 16th to Friday March 24th. It includes keynote speakers, events in the HUB daily, a Stand for Stand workshop, a Fundraising Gala benefiting the Center County Women’s Resource Center, and so much more. The event is staffed with volunteers from [the University Park Undergraduate Association] and organizations across Penn State!
HC: Can you tell us about your role within the Sexual Violence Prevention Roundtable and what the roundtable does for SVAP week?
SY: The roundtable includes student organizations like Blue and White Society, Her Campus, Lion Ambassadors, Sisters on the Runway, Panhellenic and IFC, to community organizations like Center County Women’s Resource Center, and campus centers like Center for Women Students, Title IX Office, and so many more. My role is the Executive Board Director since I was not a part of UPUA beforehand but I was involved in the cause. Karina Soto who is a representative from UPUA leads the roundtable with me as another Director! Throughout the year we lead bi-weekly meetings and help to collaborate efforts across campus to reduce duplicated efforts and making existing projects stronger! During SVAP Week the Roundtable is an amazing resource for outreach to not only their specific organizations but others they know of. Representative volunteer to staff resource table, provide information, and offer support in any way we need to execute the week!
HC: When did you first get involved in SVAP and why do you think it is important?
SY: During the Fall of 2015 was the first time the issue of Sexual Assault on College campuses really hit home for me. I realized because of my involvement on Campus as a tour guide and in other organizations I was more aware than the average student about resources such as walk in counseling at the Center for Women Students and the free escort service (814-865-WALK). I wanted to get resources out to survivors and those affected so I started the #BeMyBuddy Campaign to educate students on the resources available. The Campaign took off and I connected with Lion Ambassadors and the SVAP Roundtable to plan the first SVAP Gala benefitting the CCWRC. From there Terry Ford, UPUA President, approached me about leading the Roundtable for the 2016-2017 school year with Karina Soto! Over the Summer and into Fall semester we prepared for the Roundtable and began meetings in October! SVAP is incredibly important because as college students we often suffer from the “It won’t happen to me” syndrome. As I hope every day this does not happen to anybody, it very well can happen to anyone. As a survivor or a survivor’s friend it is vital that we are educated on what consent actually is, detect red flags, and be knowledgeable of the resources available on and off campus if an emergency situation occurs.
HC: What events do students have to look forward to throughout SVAP week?
SY: There is so much to look forward to! Fun activities in the HUB, photo backdrops, incredible keynote speakers Monday and Wednesday, an opportunity to become a Stand for State Ambassador on Thursday the 23rd. These workshops are run incredibly by the Stand for State team and, in my opinion, vital for leaders of the University so we can learn how to intervene as a bystander and educate our friends and organizations. Something very exciting is the 2nd annual Fundraising Gala benefitting the Center County Women’s Resource Center of Friday the 24th from 5:30PM – 8:00PM in the Hintz! Tickets are open to all and 100% of ticket sales and donations are donated the CCWRC! There will be appetizers, speakers, and performers! Last year we raised over $2,000 for CCWRC and hope to continue this yearly! Invite your organizations and check out the event here.
HC: What do you hope students get out of SVAP week and what is your favorite part of it?
SY: I hope that students realize sexual violence can happen to anybody, anybody’s bother or sister, roommate, or friend. It can happen and it is up to us to create a safe and inclusive environment. I hope students realize that this is the type of cause where one person really does matter. One student having gone to a Stand for State workshop is one more that is educated on how to properly intervene as a bystander. One student having a resource card in their wallet is one more person that can help a friend get home safely or know where to go in an emergency situation. I hope everyone realizes that one person can, and does, make a difference. My favorite part is connecting with students that were never exposed to the issue or resources before and educating them on the problem, but also all the prevention methods and resources available on and off campus.
HC: What do you want to see from Penn State in the future regarding sexual violence on campus?
SY: What I hope is accomplished is an increase in education on what things like consent and red flags are so we can stop this problem before it starts. From there outreach about bystander intervention methods and resources hopefully increase by every conversation, every social media post, and every attendee at an event. I would also love to see and increase in hope and trust in the University’s resources, there is an incredible amount of people that work day in and day out to prevent this issue and handle it as appropriately as possible if this does happen.
Though many colleges still have a long way to go until sexual violence on campus is eliminated completely, the future of sexual violence awareness and prevention at Penn State is looking bright.