"Raise Your Voice" campaign relaunches at UMD

University of Maryland “Raise Your Voice” water bottles for guests during the relaunch event, “Raise Your Voice: Changing Campus Culture.” (Markayla Brooks/ Black Explosion)

The University of Maryland Sexual Assault Prevention Committee (SAPC) relaunched its “Raise Your Voice” campaign Tuesday in the Stamp Student Union building. 

“‘The Raise Your Voice’ campaign specifically seeks to empower students to challenge norms that create environments conducive to sexual violence, as well as empower students to make choices that create a safer UMD campus culture,” said Nate Burke, co-chair of SAPC.

According to their website, the Raise Your Voice: Changing Campus Culture event was for students, faculty, and staff “to learn how they can contribute to changing campus culture by supporting survivors and preventing sexual assault.”

“Raise your voice means to me to speak out against sexual misconduct and be a voice for change and not just let things slide under the rug because they're hard conversations to have,” said Grace Hayden, a sophomore government and politics major.

Students, faculty, and staff could walk around the fair-style event to various tables with organizations that partner with SAPC to get information on the resources that they provide.

“We're just here together to show you know this is an important issue to us but also have a little bit of fun in community with one another and in a community of people who care about this work,” said Grace Boudreau, SAPC communication strategies subcommittee chair.

The University of Maryland Police Department had a table as well as the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct and Campus Advocates Respond and Educate.

There were also craft tables and an opportunity for event guests to write letters to survivors of sexual assault. 

“I wish that as many people who come to a basketball game or football game would come out something like this, but that's not the reality because it's not everyone's first care in the world and it should,” said Hayden, “because sexual misconduct, sexual assault, these things happen on campus constantly.”

The event offered an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to learn about the on campus resources that UMD provides as well as tools to support a friend, classmate, or student that may have experienced sexual assault. 

“I think that an event like this is important, especially now because students need to know that the voices that they have been raising are being heard by campus and stakeholders,” said Josie Urrea, student government association representative on the sexual assault prevention committee.

UMD President Darryll Pines also spoke to event guests about his support of the campaign.

“We strive to be an institution where every one of us feels comfortable making a report if they so choose, in the wake of sexual misconduct,” said Pines. “Today, I pledge to all of you that the University of Maryland will bring its full attention and dedication to this task.” 

For more information on the university-wide sexual assault prevention and awareness campaign, receive help, get involved as well as just learn more information about different resources on campus, you can visit raiseyourvoice.umd.edu.