To conclude Sex Week, the introduction to Green Dot event encouraged attendees to become active preventers of sexual abuse Friday in Studio A of the Twin Towers.

Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services began implementing the Green Dot Strategy in Fall 2014. This program teaches students how to respond to and prevent power-based personal violence.

Sven Rundman, the project coordinator of SRVSS, said the Green Dot program is a vital part of making Kent State’s campus and community safer.

“For a student to attend this session or a workshop, they are part of the culture change,” Rundman said. “They are part of that movement where we won’t accept violence, and these are lifelong skills that they’re learning.”

In this program, dots represent violence and violence prevention. A red dot symbolizes a situation, behavior or action that causes harm to people on campus or in the community.  

During this session, students learned they can act as green dots by using words or actions to stand up for someone they feel is in an unsafe situation. These reported instances are then represented by a green dot placed on the campus chart.

As part of the interactive component of the event, Navin Bhola, a freshman biology major, brainstormed responses to red-dot scenarios.

“During this session I learned a lot,” Bhola said. “It’s good to know ways to help a situation. I think it should be more widely shared on campus.”

Lauren Moore, a sophomore animation major, is a member of the Kent Interhall Council programming board, the organization responsible for Kent State’s Sex Week.  

“The whole idea of Green Dot is finding ways to prevent sexual assault and violence,” Moore said. “This session fits with the whole idea of sex week because it’s important for people to be sexually aware of their surroundings.”

Additional information regarding Green Dot is available on the Kent State web page.

Natalie Meek is the south regional campuses and aeronautics reporter. Contact her at nmeek3@kent,edu.