By: Rachel Anderson ’17, Staff Writer
One in three women and one in four men will experience an abusive relationship in his or her lifetime.
The LVC women’s lacrosse team is committed to eliminating this statistic by ending dating violence and sexual assault on campus by hosting a “One Love” game and workshop in honor of Yeardley Love and the One Love Foundation.
Love was a senior lacrosse player at the University of Virginia, just weeks shy of her graduation, when she was tragically beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend.
“I will never forget learning about Yeardley’s death; it was heartbreaking,” Jackie Dando, head women’s lacrosse coach, said. “It was later discovered there were warning signs of a very unhealthy relationship, and opportunities for those around her to intercede. You never know when you can make a difference in someone’s life.”
The One Love Foundation was created in 2010 to honor the memory of Love. This foundation works mainly with college students to raise awareness about relationship violence.
“One Love is an amazing organization that speaks to the important issues that can face college students in their everyday lives,” Kirsten Bannan, a junior attacker on the lacrosse team, said.
A great way this foundation spreads awareness is through an escalation workshop. This workshop consists of a 40-minute video followed by a discussion to learn the warning signs of relationship violence and how to engage in a change.
“The workshop hopes to teach healthy relationships and particularly focuses on young adult relationships and the impact of social media,” Dando said. “The session is facilitated by students, allowing for honest conversations.”
Since Love was a lacrosse player, many lacrosse teams around the nation join together in this movement.
The team’s goal is to educate the campus community on the warning signs of relationship violence so that others can be empowered to step up and prevent this behavior.
“Our goal in holding the One Love workshop on campus at LVC is to educate students and encourage dialogue about and awareness of relationship violence,” Dando said. “We hope to give students knowledge and confidence to talk to their friends if they recognize signs of abuse.”
The lacrosse team is hosting its second escalation workshop on Sunday, March 19, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The team is also honoring Love at its “One Love” game held Wednesday, March 22, at 4 p.m. against Elizabethtown College.
“Learning about relationship violence and the warning signs is such an important conversation that could save your life or the life of someone you love,” Bannan said. “Being a part of the organization and being able to share their message fills me with joy.”
Join the team to learn more about relationship violence and how to stop unhealthy behavior. The less this behavior is tolerated, the more lives that can be potentially saved.
rna001@lvc.edu