State of State, joined by UPUA’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Awareness Roundtable, will generate conversation about sexual violence at Penn State this week at its sexual violence awareness panel at 5 p.m. this Thursday in 303 Willard.

State of State’s panel will join the campus conversation about sexual violence along with the UPUA Roundtable, President Barron’s Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Task Force, and grassroots activism projects like the recent mattress carry on campus.

The panel will feature five speakers discussing consent, victim blaming, Title IX, responding to survivors, and bystander intervention. After short five-minute introductions from each panelist, there will be a 30-minute Q&A session for audience members to ask questions about the topics presented.

This panel is the first in a series of salon events State of State will hold throughout the year to continue conversations about campus issues and the larger State of State conference, according to State of State’s Community Relations Director Kate Taylor.

“The goal is to provide a platform where topics that are important to the Penn State community are able to be addressed,” Taylor said. “This year, we’re hosting numerous events of which this panel is one.” 

The second annual State of State conference will take place Saturday, Feb. 14. Check out some of last year’s speakers here.