The Student Activities Council is aiming to raise awareness about domestic violence during their Respect Me, Don't Reject Me week April 7 through April 10.
Over previous years, SAC has brought students together to bring attention to the different forms of domestic violence through various activities.
Tonika Ingram, a freshman criminology and criminal justice major at the University of Memphis, is the SAC's committee chair for Ideas and Issues amongst students. They work to organize the events.
"Since becoming the committee chair for Student Activities Council, I have learned a lot by working with all of the students that helped put this week together," Ingram said.
The purpose of Respect Me, Don't Reject Me is to bring awareness to stereotypes and injustices that students and young adults may encounter.
The weeklong event was started by students and has evolved into an annual event due to the success of student involvement over previous years.
Many students may recognize the week by its former title, Why Do You Hate Me Week.
"It feels good to know that students I know little to nothing about are so passionate about bringing awareness to domestic violence," Ingram said.
There is an event during each day of Respect Me, Don't Reject Me week that reflects on the different aspects of domestic violence.
The first activity of the awareness week is called Jump Around, Make A Friend and will take place on April 7. Students will have the chance to interact with each other on the University Center lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On April 8, students will have the opportunity to abolish stereotypes made about them during an event called The T-shirt Project. Students will write the stereotype pertaining to them on free t-shirts and sport them around campus. It will be located in the atrium of the University Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On April 9, there will be a guest speaker in the University Bluff Room at 7 p.m. Asia Samson will speak on the various forms of cultural domestic violence in a lecture named The Asia Project.
On April 10, the last day of the event, students will walk through a "Tunnel of Oppression" that will be located in the UC Ballrooms A, B and C from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. It will last approximately 15 minutes and will demonstrate various forms of domestic violence and stereotypes.
"The students will have a chance to be a little more interactive and have an emotional connection on the last day," Ingram said
