Purple. People wear outfits in different hues of purple, and people wear accessories all in purple. People wear purple ribbons, and people wear purple nail polish. Garlands of purple hearts with names on them hung around the school and purple balloons around the banisters.
Ladies First is a club that speaks on many issues that many relate to women; they host informational meetings about these topics to help further their peers’ understanding of these social issues. For domestic violence awareness month, they hosted several events throughout the week of October 9 to spread advocacy against domestic violence. Not only did they host events, but they also hosted a schoolwide donation drive for Laura’s House, a shelter for those escaping unsafe environments. There was an abundance of information about domestic violence presented to the students in many of the meetings and events held.
October is the month of domestic violence awareness and to advocate for this social issue the color purple is often used. The color represents survival, perseverance to end violence, and many positive things that are the opposite of domestic violence.
“In Ladies First, it is about women, and women are often abused. The month of October is the month of Domestic Violence Awareness, which is often associated with women because they are mostly the ones getting abused…We want to let other people know that this could happen to anyone, and you just never know,” Ladies First Vice President and senior Jocelin Valadez said.
In one of the first events, a representative of Human Options came to speak with students about healthy and toxic relationships. They informed students about terms like kitten fishing, love bombing, and other things that may impact them in relationships. Human Options will also be speaking in a Ladies First meeting on November 7th to further expand students’ knowledge about important topics, and they will also be creating an after-school program for MCHS students, which can count as community service hours.
“We learned that two in three teenagers that are in relationships are often abused in that relationship in the world. In the USA, it’s one out of three, but like, in Orange County, it’s two out of three; it was crazy,” Valadez said.
Human Options will be sending out a form to accommodate those who want to attend the community service events where they are partnering with Ladies First.
“I wanted to tell people who are in those relationships that there is always people willing to help, and there is people online, there is a phone number and there’s Laura’s House…” Valadez said.
The domestic violence awareness hotline number is (800) 799-7233, and they are always available 24/7. There are many resources available for domestic violence survivors:
Human Options: (877) 854-3594.
Laura’s House: (866) 498-1511
