Elon SGA hosts fall town hall event, showcases individual actions, community transformation

The Elon University Student Government Association hosted their fall town hall Nov. 12. More than 80 people attended the event, which was cosponsored by CrossRoads Sexual Assault Response & Resource Center in Burlington and several on-campus organizations, including the Gender and LGBTQIA Center, Department of Health Promotion and Panhellenic Association.

The town hall included two main parts: a panel discussion with representatives from CrossRoads and the GLC, and roundtable conversations featuring educational leaders, nonprofit directors, business professionals, and civic and political leaders.

Meredith Peffley, executive director of CrossRoads, spoke on the panel about the continued need for sexual assault response services.

“The unfortunate part about CrossRoads is we wouldn't be here without a survivor, and that hurts every day, because every day we go to work hoping there won't be another survivor,” Peffley said. “We interviewed three today — just today, three more came into the office. So that's the unfortunate part about the work that we do, is that we don't have a job unless we have a victim. Our job is to move them from being a victim to a survivor.”

Becca Bishopric Patterson, associate director of the GLC, also spoke on the panel and urged students to question their environment and push for change.

“What are the injustices, what are the factors that are creating an environment where violence can happen in our society?” Patterson said. “That's where every one of us can be allies and advocates and changemakers, and how we can change culture.”

SGA Executive President Anya Bratić said the idea to center the fall town hall around CrossRoads and preventing sexual violence in Alamance County began after she attended Denim Day in April. 

Denim Day is observed worldwide to raise awareness about sexual violence and victim-blaming, and began in 1992 when the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing tight jeans. CrossRoads hosts the annual event to raise money for their services, such as victim advocacy and sexual assault education and prevention.

“I'm a go big or go home kind of person,” Bratić said. “We started planning in May, and we planned over the summer, and all of SGA really played such a big role. And I think it's one of the best turnouts that we've ever had for a town hall. Normally, we just have primarily SGA students, but tonight I saw so many different students from so many different organizations, and that made me so happy to see just a full room of people that were all eager to be here and learn from people who have created such impactful changes in their communities.”

After the panel discussion, attendees sat at tables with local leaders who shared their experiences with advocacy and provided advice for those looking to make a difference.

Elon freshman Jemy Osorio-Romero talked to Phil Bowers, founder of Sustainable Alamance, which places formerly incarcerated people into full-time work positions.

“Probably the biggest thing I took away from this was being able to see that there are people who still care,” Osorio-Romero said. “There are people who are willing to put in the effort for not only the victims, but also the people who perpetrated and are trying to come back and learn from those mistakes.” 

As the town hall ended, Bratić invited students to share what they learned from their table facilitator. Ayla Gonzalez, inclusive excellence senator for SGA, sat with Susan Watson, executive director for the Women’s Resource Center in Alamance County. Gonzalez said she asked Watson how she is able to continue the work when it becomes heavy and feels hopeless.

“She was really amazing to share how even though it's harsh, everyone has a personal experience or a personal thing that they're going through or have gone through in their lives,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone has a story or something that drives the work that they do.”

Daniela Gonzalez, School of Health Sciences senator for SGA, said in an interview with Elon News Network that she will take the conversations she had and connections she made to a future career.

“I'm very grateful that SGA is hosting events like this, and I feel like it's very powerful for the student body to be able to come and just talk to so many members of the community that really did make small changes,” Daniela said. “Just how much of a big impact they were able to make in the community that we live in — I feel like many students could bring this back to their hometowns too, and continue to look for programs like this back where they're from, or wherever they decide to go after Elon.”

In an interview with Elon News Network, Peffley shared what makes young people uniquely talented at advocacy and making change.

“Young people have spark,” Peffley said. “There's a spark in their life that they can make major change. That's how CrossRoads was founded 50 years ago — because there was a spark and young people made a change. And 50 years later, we are the organization we are today. Our sparks and our changemakers sometimes will begin with young people, so I think it's important to really help facilitate and encourage young people to follow that spark.”