What started as a group project to design an advertising campaign will become an important campus event next month.
On Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., all the University of Tampa’s fraternities will be required to attend the Dating Violence Awareness Seminar, an event to address the realities of domestic violence and the proper treatment of women.
The advertising students who began the project are working in conjunction with The Spring of Tampa Bay, a shelter for victims of domestic abuse.
The Spring will send representatives to speak at the event.
The campaign, titled “Hug it Out Bros: Bros Against Dating Violence,” is aimed primarily at college males between the ages of 18 and 24.
The five UT seniors responsible for organizing next week’s talk include Jenna Angradi, Amy Capomaccio, Jayne Corso, Garret DiBona and Ashley McCormick.
“Most talks like these only highlight what not to do,” McCormick said. “We want our campaign to be more positive than that.
The group aims to make the event as entertaining as it is informative, through clever videos and various other forms of audience involvement.
By collaborating with Pi Kappa Phi and Greek Life, the organizers have managed to make attendance to the event mandatory for all fraternity brothers.
“Without it being mandatory not a whole lot of people would attend,” said McCormick. “A lot of college age guys don’t take a whole lot seriously.”
The campaign organizers have formulated a pledge regarding the proper treatment of women in order for attendees to affirm their belief in the seminar’s underlying message.
They hope to stress that accountability for violation of the pledge rests not just on the individual, but on the group as a whole.
“Fraternity members are responsible not just for their own actions, but for the actions of their brothers,” said McCormick.
The event will be held in the Sword and Shield Room.
All UT male students, regardless of fraternity membership, are encouraged to attend.
The campaign organizers currently anticipate an attendance of roughly 200 UT students.
“We’re hoping for a big turnout,” said McCormick.
To find out more about the campaign, visit www.hugitoutbros.com.
