"I Won't Stand For" campaign draws robust response

About 400 members of the Skidmore community participated Oct. 10 in the fourth annual “I Won’t Stand For” event. Sponsored by the Office of Residential Life and organized by Anna Morreale, area coordinator of Howe-Rounds and Wait halls, the event encourages people to address issues they find intolerable.

“This initiative is an opportunity to start a conversation,” said Morreale. “I see so many passionate student organizations fighting for many worthy causes. The idea of ‘I Won’t Stand For’ is that a person can have an area of focus in social justice while being a part of a larger initiative that supports the community as a whole. There can be strength in numbers, and the fight against many of the world’s social ills shares a common foundational goal: a need for respect and equality.”

Free T-shirts with the phrase “I Won’t Stand For___” were customized with whatever social concern is most impactful for those participating. Participants were given markers to complete the sentence on their own shirts. Among the most common issues mentioned: sexual violence, sexism, intolerance, discrimination, racism, disrespect and animal cruelty. Morreale reported an increase in men writing about sexual violence, far beyond what was seen in prior years. “The idea is to show that we can all care about a variety of issues while still standing as one community against all social ills,” she added.

Inspired by the USA Network’s Characters Unite initiative of the same name, Skidmore’s "I Won’t Stand For" has grown steadily over the last three years. Started in the spring of 2013 with 300 t-shirts (all of which were given out) more than 400 were distributed this year.

Feedback on the initiative has been positive, according to Morreale, who cited comments from a survey following the 2014 program: “It helped me express some anger and feelings about topics i.e. racism, discrimination, ignorance etc. Having everyone do the same task built a sense of unity and community” and ”It enabled people to make their opinions known and advocate for causes that matter to them.”

Said Morreale, “The program gives students a way to share their concerns. Each year more students are able to experience the program, and as the shirts become more familiar and a part of the Skidmore community, the more effective the message. Every time I see someone wearing their shirt I am proud to see the continued presence on campus.”