The Clemson campus and community are coming together this month to raise awareness about interpersonal violence through the inaugural Step Fiercely Forward Walk. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov.15 at 3 p.m. in the Greek Quad, with the purpose of increasing awareness of available campus resources, recognizing the signs of relationship abuse and also supporting Safe Harbor, the Upstate’s domestic violence crisis organization.
Hosted by Healthy Campus in partnership with the Interpersonal Violence Resource Alliance, South Carolina Institute on the Prevention of Sexual Violence on College Campuses (SCIP), Alpha Chi Omega (AXO) and Safe Harbor, the short campus walk is open to students, employees and the community and will include stops that highlight Clemson’s ongoing commitment to prevention, intervention and survivor support.
In addition to walking, supporters can contribute to Safe Harbor directly through fundraising efforts. Donations can be made individually or as part of a team and will be accepted through Nov. 30. The top fundraisers will earn prizes sponsored by AXO.
Safe Harbor received nearly 3,900 helpline calls last year and provided over 2,900 hours of direct support to people in need.
“Safe Harbor regularly works with me to build new curriculum for our Clemson community and supports so many here in the Upstate,” said Megan Fallon, Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coordinator. “When I approached AXO to help organize this event, they immediately wanted to continue their support of Safe Harbor, which benefits from their Walk in Their Shoes and Dance in Their Shoes events. Together, those events raised $22,000 for Safe Harbor last year. SCIP has also been a tremendous supporter, funding a REP-U educational program at Clemson and providing funds for this event to help raise awareness of campus and community resources.”
Omar Jalil, education manager with Safe Harbor, emphasized the importance of collaboration between Clemson and the non-profit organization.
“We often overlook the fact that university students experience high rates of dating abuse that are too easily dismissed as ‘young people’s drama,’” Jalil said. “The REP-U program we’ve developed with Clemson and SCIP provides a safe and supportive space for college students to learn what dating abuse really is, how it impacts lives and how they can help.”
Information about the REP-U program and how to schedule a session will be available at the event.
The first 200 participants will receive a free T-shirt courtesy of SCIP, featuring a QR code that links directly to campus and community resources — a “walking brochure” for interpersonal violence awareness.
To learn more about interpersonal violence prevention and intervention resources at the University, visit clemson.edu/interpersonal-violence.
