EAST BRUNSWICK-Striving for better education on sexual assault, resident Renu Nargund spoke with former Vice President Joe Biden about the “It’s On Us” movement.
Nargund is a sophomore at the University of Miami in Florida, majoring in biochemistry and psychology and minoring in chemistry and gender studies.
“I have had the pleasure of living in East Brunswick all my life. I went to Warnsdorfer Elementary School and continued [through the] East Brunswick public school system [to] East Brunswick High School,” Nargund said.
“It’s On Us” is a national organization focused on changing the climate of sexual assault on college campuses. Under former President Barack Obama’s administration, there was emphasis on gender equality, so, therefore, in 2014, Biden spearheaded the plan for “It’s On Us.” They provide an umbrella organization to make a unified effort to end sexual assault at universities, according to Nargund.
“The University of Miami President’s Coalition of Sexual Assault Prevention and Education was formed by a group of administrators and staff of the university. Julio Frenk, the president of [the University of Miami], pushed for more student involvement and thus, the student ambassador program was born in the spring of 2017. I applied for the position and was selected as one of 10 ambassadors,” Nargund said.
Nargund said Biden has given rallies at numerous schools, none making it into the national news like the University of Miami’s rally.
“In our closing meeting for the spring of 2016, I happened to mention that we should try to host an event with [Biden]. No one actually thought it could happen, but coincidentally, on March 20, [Biden] had an event in the morning related to the upcoming congressional election,” Nargund said. “After a brief discussion, we were able to start making plans for a rally at the University of Miami. Technically, [Frenk] invited him to the university.”
Nargund said she met Biden during the university’s “It’s On Us rally” on March 20 at the college’s WATSCO Center’s Fieldhouse.
“I was ushered to a back room where I first met Frenk and his wife, Felicia Knaul. When Joe Biden entered the room, everyone went silent. Biden walked in with a huge smile and immediately began greeting everyone. He came over to me and gave me a hug and thanked me for the work I have done at the university,” Nargund said.
Nargund said she, Frenk and Biden spoke about the amendments to Title IX due to United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and how they felt there was a shift in priority from funding public education to allocating money to private/charter schools.
“We also spoke about the other rallies that Biden has done this past year at other universities. Frenk, Biden and I spoke specifically about how ‘It’s On Us’ has given students at the university an umbrella organization that they relate to sexual violence prevention,” Nargund said. “The students and staff took the message of ‘It’s On Us’ and made them more specific to the issues that we face on a day-to-day basis, something that Biden found very commendable.”
After graduating from college, Nargund said she hopes to pursue a medical or law degree focused on working with underprivileged populations around the world rather than the standard hospital setting.
“From the young age of five, I knew I was interested in science as my father, grandfather and numerous other family members were chemists or practicing physicians. Once I entered college, I started to realize that my passion for science stemmed from my love for community service and public health,” Nargund said.
Nargund said it was an honor to have Biden come to the university and speak to students and staff about sexual assault.
“[Biden’s] main message was we have to change the culture, meaning, we have to show men and women what exactly is OK and that when something seems off, we have to say something. If you see something, say something,” Nargund said. “After the event, students knew the name ‘It’s On Us’ and were interested to join the organization and do their part to end the epidemic of sexual assault.”
Nargund said her passion is sexual assault education for students in a college setting.
“Any new student should first find something that sparks their interest and find ways to get involved on their respective campuses. If you have an idea, the administration always wants to hear it and it’s your job to voice your opinions. It’s always easy to talk about what you want changed, but it’s always better to be a part of that change,” Nargund said.
Nargund said she also celebrated her 20th birthday on March 20.
“[Biden] talked to me about the numerous inspiring women in high-ranking positions in the world right now and how that should motivate me to achieve whatever goals I have. He was extremely humble and the entire experience was genuinely life changing,” Nargund said.
For more information about the “It’s On Us” movement visit www.itsonus.org/our-story/.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
