March 19, campus leaders came together to give presentations on the variety of programs at California State University, Stanislaus that are aimed to help students be active bystanders and take a stand against sexual violence on campus.
Title IX coordinator Dennis Shimek welcomed Vice Chancellor Fram Virjee to a full Carol Burke Lounge. The audience consisted of student-athletes, University Police Department, Associated Students Incorporated (ASI), University Student Union (USU) members, faculty, staff and President Joseph F. Sheley.
Joshua Palmer, ASI Director for Graduates and Lead Peer Educator, presented the Warrior Watch Program. He discussed the program as one that brings awareness to Title IX and to being an active bystander.
“I am really passionate about it,” Palmer said. “I really love this program, it is a legacy that I can leave behind and know that there are students out there that can help other students. To create this safe campus that we all want to happen.”
After Palmer’s presentation on the Warrior Watch Program, Shimek was proud to see students devoting their time to the program.
“That is an investment of a student with students that makes a difference,” Shimek said.
Kimberley Duyst, Associate Athletic Director, discussed the Stop Abuse Campaign that included the participation of student-athletes and coaches which was received with positive feedback from the community.
The last presentation from Housing discussed the variety of programs that focus on empowering students to be directly involved. Housing uses a peer-to-peer connection to help create a culture where students will stand up and help other students outside of housing.
“These freshman, we want to make sure we instill all the ideals of going out to be safe and be that active bystander,” Steve Silva, Freshman Community Lead, said about helping students transition into college life.
President Sheley was proud to sit, listen and watch the how the presentations are making a positive impact on CSU Stanislaus.
“I look at this and I see our campus taking a leadership role,” President Sheley said. “The big piece of culture is you and what you have been doing to change the culture. That’s your legacy and for years your legacy is going to be there. It’s going to be a culture, built on. I can’t tell you how proud I am.”
Vice Chancellor Vram Virjee was just as impressed as President Sheley with the amount of leadership CSU Stanislaus students, faculty and administration have taken on raising awareness about sexual violence.
“The way to make the best change is this idea of a bystander intervention,” Virjee said. “It is so important to watch out for each other. This is being created by the students because you care about this as much or more than the administration does. That’s the only way we can change minds, change culture and change ideas with dealing with sexual violence.”