By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and the Women’s Leadership Project at Fort Hays State University is hosting the Red Flag Campaign event on campus this week.

Elaine Parkinson, a WLP student co-coordinator, said the Red Flag event at FHSU is a month-long effort to raise awareness of domestic violence and to encourage to look at possible “red flags” they see in theirs or in others relationship.

“Red flags are something that you have to look at in relationships and you have to be on the lookout for,” said Parkinson, “because they can be really harmful to grow in relationships.”

Parkinson said red flags can be any form of unhealthy or abusive behavior in any relationship.

The WLP will kick off the month with the Silence Hides Violence Awareness Walk on Oct. 2nd from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the FHSU campus.

Parkinson said the walk will take place around the FHSU Memorial Union Quad. There they will talk about Red Flags in relationships and then the walk will end with a presentation from survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence inside the union.

Parkinson said the campaign is geared toward college campuses but anyone is invited to attend.

During the month of October, the WLP will display red flags in the quad and will partner with the American Democracy Project for a Times Talk and several other displays and projects set up on campus to spread awareness about domestic violence.

“I hope students, faculty and members of the community are watching for this,” Parkinson said. “And really opening their minds to trying to understand and recognize red flags around them so they can learn to see them. Perhaps in themselves or in other people and try to put a stop to that and make people more safe in relationships.”