On Oct.16, Washburn hosted a Speak Your Truth event held in union underground from 6:30 p.m-7:30 p.m.
The “Speak Your Truth” event is a part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and focuses on giving survivors a platform to share their stories. Its main goal is to raise awareness about domestic violence and encourage open conversations.
“The main message I want students to take away is not being ashamed or embarrassed about your struggles in life, find the courage and strength to be able to tell your own testimonies and doing it helps others tell their own stories to build a stronger foundation, a stronger community,” said Ka’hari Mcfan, sophomore criminal justice major.
During the event, many students went up to the stage and shared their poetry slam based on their own personal experiences that included any kind of emotion they were feeling in the moment.
“I came into this event with confidence… I was really nervous to speak in front of people, talking about my survivorhood and now it’s all second nature to talk about it because I think talking about it helps other people talk about it,” said Lyndsey Bibler, senior family and human services major.
Beyond the personal stories, this event also served as an educational experience where it sheds light on the warning signs of abusive relationships, the emotional and psychological impact survivors face, and the importance of community support systems.
“I did learn something new throughout this entire experience, just giving myself grace a lot, I still struggle with that, learning that everything takes time and I can’t always try and force and control the things that I can’t control,” said Samarii Berry, senior integrated studies major.
Many attendees said they left with a deeper understanding of how speaking out can lead to healing, not just for sharing but for others who may be quietly carrying similar experiences.
“I can hold space for myself, and also hold space for people who have had different experiences, and then feel like we can come together as a community and have the same end goal which is safety and dignity and respect for every human,” said Molly Steffes-Herman, associate director of counseling services.
The event wrapped up on a lighter note, with attendees enjoying pizza and sodas and just hanging around the union and having a meaningful conversation with one another.
Edited by Stuti Khadka
