The Current 2020

Oreintation 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 18 Health & Wellness Title IX A Practical Guide to Staying Safe At NSU Strongly committed to conducting classes and activities that are free from sexual discrimination and misconduct, NSU has developed its own Title IX team. NSU’s Title IX strives to prevent or assist students to resolve any type of sexual harassment, violence and relationship struggles. NSU’s Title IX recommends everyone, including all students, faculty and staff, to take responsibility and contact the Title IX officers if they have known of, witnessed or suspected a sexual assault-related incident that has allegedly happened to a person within the NSU community. “The easiest way to contact us is to fill In my experience at NSU, I have never felt in danger or unsafe, even during the two lockdowns the university has had because of suspicious activity in the surrounding area. However, there are precautions I take to ensure that. Whether walking back from a late night class at 10 p.m., the gym late at night or coming back from a friend’s dorm, there are tools that NSU provides to assist students in staying safe out the report form provided on our website [where] the person is asked to provide as much information as he or she feels comfortable sharing. This form is accessible 24/7 and we will reach out to him or her at our earliest convenience,” said Bennett. While there is a spectrum of sexual harassment and misconduct, one is suggested to call NSU public safety or local police for an emergency or immediate threat. Besides security and well-being, the paramount goal of NSU’s Title IX is also to protect a student’s privacy and confidentiality. NSU’s Title IX works closely with Henderson Student Counseling Services to ensure and secure. Be aware of your surroundings People often place themselves into two distinct categories: either you are a night owl, or an early bird; I tend to be a mix of both. I’m usually up by 7 a.m. at the latest and I go to bed around 11:30 p.m. In the mornings, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I go to a yoga class early at 6:15 a.m. when it’s still dark. In order to be aware of my surroundings, I keep my headphones off until I get into the University Center. Being aware of your surroundings is crucial to staying safe; keep your head up and your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity that could be occurring. NSU is a relatively small campus, so the walk from my dorm takes about five minutes. As for the night shift, when I am coming back to my dorm from a late class (which typically ends around 10 p.m.), I try to walk with a friend from class. There’s power in being in a group; even if you aren’t walking with anyone in particular, that the student is given the best comfort when discussing his or her experience. Any participant, either victim or reporter, has a right to remain anonymous. Given some individuals would prefer talking to a peer, the NSU Title IX Peer Educator program, consisting of a group of NSU students, aims to strengthen that comfort provided to the participants. “[Part of what we offer] is also to support the students through their pregnancies by ensuring they are keeping up with their schoolwork. We educate the students on how to establish a healthy romantic relationship as well,” said Laura Bennett, Title IX Coordinator. For the goal of education and awareness, stick as close as possible to a group of other students from the class. Download the Saferwatch app As I mentioned, NSU has tools to keep their student population safe. A recent development in the safety of NSU students has led our school to partner with SaferWatch, an app for Android and iPhone that gives the NSU population a direct line to public safety. Through Saferwatch, students and staff can not only report suspicious activity or even work orders such as broken elevators that could be harmful, but they receive real time alerts about police activity in specific zones if they request it. Public Safety Department Public Safety officers are not hard to find on campus, and if you feel in danger or need to report something, their phone number is 954- 262-8999. In addition to them being easy to find at NSU, Public Safety also offers an escort service for students to use as they wish if they feel unsafe in the trek back to their dorm from class, or wherever they may be coming back from. Public safety, as well as residence hall staff, are constantly monitoring the more than 1500 cameras on our NSU campus. NSU’s Title IX has actively collaborated with numerous community partners and campus programs to make various informative and interactive workshops and training available to students, such as the UNIV1000 curriculum for freshmen. Online training is also offered to students and employees on NSU’s Title IX website. Emergency call boxes Like many other college campuses and locations such as national parks and trails, NSU has multiple emergency blue-light phones located around campus. These phones provide direct connection to campus police, which offers the convenience of not having to call directly if you forget the number for public safety. Because it’s campus police, the response time is typically faster than using your cell phone. Davie Police officers At NSU, there are at least five Davie Police officers assigned to the campus. These officers are typically located by residence halls, and can also be seen in the Shark circle by the Don Taft University Center, also known as the UC. As you can see, NSU cares for its students and has made safety one of their top priorities. There are a number of tools and resources that can be utilized by students to ensure their individual safety as well as the safety of the general student population. It’s important to keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings; there’s power in numbers, so make sure to try and walk with a group on your way back from a late class or a late night gym session. By: Linh Tran Contributing Writer FOR MORE INFORMATION OR ANY CONCERN, CHECK OUT HTTPS:// WWW.NOVA.EDU/TITLE-IX/INDEX. HTML OR CONTACT LAURA BENNETT AT LAURA.BENNETT@NOVA.EDU OR DESMOND DANIELS, DEPUTY TITLE IX COORDINATOR AND SR. TITLE IX INVESTIGATOR, AT DDDANIELS@ NOVA.EDU . PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM C.MCLAUGHLIN The Emergency Boxes located all around campus Healthy Relationship in College Navigating relationships, both romantic and platonic, can be a difficult task. Especially in college, when students are given opportunities to meet new people and foster new connections, the path to healthy relationships can be a bumpy road. College can be the place you find your closest friends, your best mentors or even your life partner, but unfortunately, not all relationships are positive, healthy ones. According to Loveisrespect.org, nearly half (43%) of women dating in college report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors, and the numbers are high among college men as well. Why such a high percentage? Difficulties identifying unhealthy relationship behaviors points to part of the problem. 57% of college students say it’s difficult to identify these types of relationships and 58% say they don’t know how to help someone who’s experiencing it, according to Loveisrespect.com. Without being equipped with the knowledge and tools to identify and remedy toxic relationships, many college students fall victim to their dangerous effects. There are innumerous negative effects that being in an unhealthy relationship can have on young individuals, including putting the victims at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and further domestic violence. It is important to remember that not every unhealthy relationship looks the same. Every relationship is different and it can be difficult to discern when a healthy relationship turns unhealthy or even abusive, but being aware of some common signs is crucial. • Checking your cell phone or email without your permission • Constantly putting you down • Extreme jealousy or insecurity • Explosive temper • Isolating you from family or friends • Making false accusations • Mood swings • Physically hurting you in any way • Possessiveness • Telling you what to do • Pressuring or forcing you to have sex Communicate Communication is a fundamental building block in any relationship and can help you to avoid and identify warning signs before they become an issue. If something is bothering you, speak up. If you aren’t comfortable talking to your friend or partner about their behavior, go to someone you can confide in. Whether it’s a close friend, a family member, school counselor or a Title IX Officer, make sure you have someone to talk to. In many cases, outside advice can help individuals decide what plan of action to take to fix or get out of a toxic relationship. NSU has a variety of resources available to help students who may be struggling with an unhealthy or abusive relationship. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know needs help. Resources Laura Bennett Title XI Coordinator Tel: 954-262-7858 Email: laura.bennett@nova.edu Desmond Daniels, Title IX Investigator/ Deputy Title IX Coordinator Tel: 954-262- 7863 Email: dddaniels@nova.edu Henderson Student Counseling Center Office: 954-424-6911 or 954-262-7050Hotline: 954-424-6911 or 954-262-7050 (available 24 hours, 7 days a week) hendersonbh.org/ studentcounseling-3.php By: Emma Heineman Features Editor “IF SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU, SPEAK UP. IF YOU AREN’T COMFORTABLE TALKING TO YOUR FRIEND OR PARTNER ABOUT THEIR BEHAVIOR, GO TO SOMEONE YOU CAN CONFIDE IN.” By: Cameron Pritchett Sports Editor