In honor of October as the Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, students gathered in solidarity with victims of teen dating violence. Organized by the Associated Student Body (ASB) and led by Hannah Yale ‘20, all interested students were encouraged to approach the stage and have their nails painted purple: the color used as a symbol to acknowledge teen domestic violence victims.

Teen dating violence is an umbrella term which encompasses physical, emotional, sexual and mental harm or violence, and according to Yale, she and her peers organized this event “to bring awareness to teen dating violence.”

“1 in 3 teens will experience dating violence, which is terrible,” she said.

Yale recommends for teens to reach out to organizations such as Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) if they have witnessed or been victims of dating violence.

“I just think that this is something important that is often overlooked,” Yale said. “We really need to shed more light on this so that people who are experiencing teen dating violence feel comfortable enough to come out and say something.”