STEPHEN SACCO
Special to the Leader
On college campuses nationwide one of the biggest problems is sexual violence.
To combat this issue, Fredonia’s very own S.T.E.P.S.(Students Teaching Equals Positive Sexuality) hosted “One Night” by Equalogy for Welcome Week on Aug. 29.
S.T.E.P.S. brought Equalogy, a traveling theatre company, to the Williams center Multipurpose Room. Equalogy goes from campus to campus spreading awareness of date and acquaintance rape. The theatre company performed “One Night,” a play about four college friends that are out drinking.
Throughout the play, actors challenged the morals of students and made clear which are the right and wrong decisions when surrounded by the intoxicating nightlife of college. Throughout the play the actors stopped and asked audience members questions.
The energy in the MPR was serious and heartfelt. Some students cried, while others left for unexplainable reasons. A school counselor was in attendance for support.
Mary Kate Petz, a senior early childhood/ childhood education major, is the president of S.T.E.P.S.
“Basically we are a peer education group that talks about college relevant topics . . . so we talk alot about alcohol awareness, safe sex and safe partying. It’s not like an adult coming in and telling you not to have sex, it’s how to be safe when you’re experiencing these things,” said Petz.
Students will be able to join and learn more at Activites Night on Sept. 5. Following that, S.T.E.P.S. will have pop-up “get to know you events” which will be announced.
Petz went on to share her own experience with S.T.E.P.S. and how she was immediately intrigued by the organization at her freshman orientation.
“Within the group we are very diverse, just being able to have positive relationships with each other helps, then going out to educate each other,” she said. Currently we have 40 members . . . I’ll be walking in the library and a student will come up to me and we will talk about anything then find the proper resources on campus.”
The biggest goal for S.T.E.P.S. is to educate peers on making the right decisions. S.T.E.P.S. and the faculty of Fredonia are here to provide safety and assistance to all students no matter what the case may be.