On Saturday October 27th, PSU will be hosting it’s second March Against Violence. The March is organized by the Sexuality. Anti-violence. Gender. Equality (S.A.G.E.) Center, one of PSU’s on campus organizations.
Molly Donlan, a PSU senior, has been the special event coordinator for the S.A.G.E Center for the last three years. Donlan is one of the main coordinators of the March Against Violence, and all of S.A.G.E’s events. The S.A.G.E Center is designed to help anyone who is a victim of violence and Donlan said, “we’re trying to be more visible on campus”.
The March Against Violence is a one-mile walk that is meant to be a “display for the campus and community that we stand and march against violence and we won’t put up with it”.
The march is open to anyone who wants to participate, including spectators, but walking is encouraged.
“First,” Donlan explained, “we work with the University Police Department to shut down the roads, then we work with the town to use the road.”
S.A.G.E. collaborates with Voices Against Violence, the local crisis center in Plymouth, which is located on Main Street. “[Voices Against Violence] helps victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking,” said Donlan.
S.A.G.E also works with the Wellness Center on board to help, support, and promote the event. Getting many different people together is a key goal in putting on the March, “We get a bunch of volunteers and we try to get students involved,” explained Donlan.
This is the “second year [of the March], but prior to that we did Walk A Mile In Her Shoes, which is the march against rape, sexual assault and violence against women,” said Donlan. She went on to explain how the S.A.G.E Center decided to make a change to the event from last year by “encompassing everyone and all types of violence.”
The main purpose of the March is to get people aware of the fact that there is violence and it should not be ignored. “There is always going to be violence around a college campus,” says Donlan, “but I think the important thing is to personally not participate in violence, and to step up and say something if you witness something that seems a little bit off or violent in any way. If you can safely stop it you should and if you can’t, find someone that can.”
The march will be a powerful event that deserves to be supported. Unfortunately, violence does exist in Plymouth, but if we work together as campus and a community to support each other, tragedies may be prevented.
“It’s a really good display for the community, the town and the campus” said Donlan.
Make sure to show your support on the 27th. Registration for the march will be held on the Alumni Green in front of the Hartman Union Building at 10:30 am and the march will begin at 11:30 am.