PEACE campus theater trope brings awareness to sexual violence
The PEACE club, a branch of the Women’s Center, uses theater to educate the campus community about sexual assault.
Rachel Maccabee, interim director of the Violence Awareness Response Program and advisor for PEACE, said PEACE has been at Minnesota State for at least 11 years. The current leading staff in PEACE are fairly new in their roles but have a vision for where they want to lead the club.
“It has been around for a long time, so we were just making sure it kept going,” Maccabee said. “COVID put things very much lower than they were.”
PEACE uses a variety of art forms in its mission.
“One of the primary actions of PEACE is to create skits, videos, other ways of using art and interactive theater to teach people about healthy relationships, affirmative consent, bystander intervention, and preventing sexual violence,” Maccabee said.
Members of the campus community do not need to be naturally talented actors to join this club. There are a variety of behind-the-scenes roles.
Abigail Raper, a member of the club, said, “One thing that is great is that you don’t have to be at the front. There can also be people specifically working on scripts or on events.”
PEACE seeks to provide support to the victims of sexual violence as well as train the campus community to be a support system for these victims.
“There is a lot of stuff that happens on campus that is not safe. When it comes to sexual violence, especially, that goes under the radar so much. Not only are people afraid to talk about it, but when they feel comfortable to, sometimes they are shamed,” Kiera Williamson, vice president of PEACE, said.
“What I noticed, especially with international students, most people don’t really know what had actually happened to them until you let them know. We are so immersed into this lifestyle where whatever the society tells you is right is so fixated that you also think that it’s right,” Amen Tilahun, vice president of PEACE club, said. “And people don’t actually know that they are being prey or being assaulted. My body, my choice is not something we grew up in.”
PEACE believes the key to creating a supporting campus community for victims of sexual assault is being quick to listen, not quick to judge.
“Part of what PEACE does is not only teach bystander intervention but, yes, how to be a good listener, how to be a good friend. Not shaming someone, just believing someone, just listening, withholding judgment,” Maccabee said. “Whether you believe someone or not, you can withhold judgment and be a good listener.”Students who are interested in participating in PEACE or learning more about it can reach out to Williamson at leyla.williamson@mnsu.edu or check out MavLife.
Photo caption: PEACE is a a club that educates students about sexual assault awareness. Skits, videos and other art forms are used to talk about topics such as consent, bystander intervention and offers a support system to students. (Dalton Grubb/The Reporter)
Write to Tracy Swartzendruber at tracy.swartzendruber@mnsu.edu