Brendan Bonner ’23

News Editor

This past week marked the first Sexual Respect Awareness Week here at College of the Holy Cross. After a deeply troubling series of reports of sexual violence occurring across campus, the SGA teamed up with the RPEs (Relationship Peer Educators), The Office of Title IX and Equal Opportunity, the Feminist Forum, and the Office of the College Chaplains to create a week to support others and promote sexual respect.

This past week stood as an educational moment for our larger community and had several events to further support awareness on campus. These events included “The Vagina Monologues,” “Survivor Love Letter,” “Trauma Informed Meditation,” and finally “What Love Looks Like.” Said events were held throughout the week all across campus. 

If you were not able to attend any of these events, the SGA also provided a list of not time sensitive action items that any student can do. Some of these action items include: supporting others in our community, holding each other accountable and being an active bystander, or requesting a workshop/training through The Office of Title IX and Equal Opportunity. For more information about bystander training, be sure to view this website they provided here. Furthermore, to reach out to The Office of Title IX and Equal Opportunity for training for your group, please visit the resources found here.

The remaining action items include taking care of your own mental health, downloading the RAVE Guardian app (found here), and following both @holycrosssga and @hcrpe on Instagram for further information on topics of sexual respect and relationship violence. 

The SGA also provided a list of resources for survivors to reach out. These resources are only for those wanting an investigation by the school. Thus, they are not confidential but are discreet offices that will grant insight on the process to individuals involved. These non-confidential options include Public Safety, Derek DeBobes (Director of Title IX and Equal Opportunity), Anonymous Reporting, and any Resident Assistant. 

Those looking for a confidential option can reach out to the following resources. The Counseling Center, located on Hogan 207, provides free counseling and accepts both walk-ins and scheduled appointments. The Chaplains Office, located in the Campion House, provides pastoral counseling along with spiritual support. The Chaplains Office accepts appointments or drop in hours, Monday through Friday 1-2 p.m. Health Services provides health-related support including physical exams, pregnancy testing, and STI testing. Health Services is located in Loyola Hall and is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Then there is the Primary Confidential Resource Provider or PCRP. The PCRP is trained to help individuals with the following: understanding how they can report; how to obtain criminal protection, no contact orders, or no trespass orders; understanding their rights; explaining criminal and campus based standard procedure; and referring to counseling offices, along with helping obtain campus support measures. They are located at Hogan 522 and can be reached through Jamie Hoag, Director of Government and Community Relations. 

Lastly, the SGA provided confidential off-campus options. These include Pathways for Change, YWCA, Ujima Community, The Network La Red, Strong Heart Native Helpline, and 1 in 6.