Light shines in from the windows in the new Title IX space. Located across from Subway in the Angell College Center. The office is an open space for any students to come into for support or even just for hot coffee and tea.
Zyaijah Nadler is the violence prevention education and outreach coordinator at Title IX. She does the programming and education for interpersonal violence, which is dating violence, sexual violence and stalking. Nadler also organizes Consent Week which brings awareness to what consent is.
“I think this move is really important because it centralizes us in one location,” said Nadler.
Before the move to the ACC, all of the offices for Title IX were split up. Butterfly Blaise’s office was in Hawkins, Zyaijah Nadler’s office was in Beaumont on the fourth floor and the community advocates was on the third floor of Beaumont.
Community advocates take reports and give resources. Stop domestic violence and sexual assault services part of the community advocates comes onto campus once a week.
Students who had to report incidents had to report to Butterfly Blaise. This meant that they had to walk all the way to Hawkins.
“On a regular day to day basis we make think it’s not far, but for someone who had a traumatic experience walking all the way to Hawkins is very lonely and may even discourage people from reporting,” Nadler said.
Environmental Studies and philosophy major, Alexis Larreategui became a Title IX intern after a friend was raped. She did research on Title IX and thought it would be a great way to provide resources for her friend and to contribute to the community. She thinks the switch to the ACC has been beneficial.
“Not a lot of people know or go to Beaumont that often,” Larreategui said, “I see people coming here talking and interacting with one another, networking and hanging out with their friends right at the Center for Honoring Uniting Building Community. I think is has been a good switch.”
The ACC is the student center on campus. Students are in and out buying food, studying in the library and just hanging out.
“Being in the student center makes us student focus lets people know, we are doing things, we’re here whenever you need us and with whatever we can help you with we will,” Nadler said.
Nadler said despite the centralized location there is still privacy in the Title IX office. There are two doors to enter the Title IX area. If they know someone is coming in to report an incident they will shut the other door. A lot of times they don’t just have walk ins. If students are sitting in the HUB they can’t see who is coming in and out because the book shelf blocks the entrance. So far, privacy hasn’t been a concern and no students have complained about the change of location.
Moving the location of Title IX to the ACC makes reporting incidents easier for students and brings awareness as well.
“Destigmatizing reporting is a big factor while we want to make sure you have your privacy and you have the right to privacy, it’s knowing we are accessible,” Nadler said.
Students can come in do homework or hang out with friends in the HUB.
The Title IX space offers students to take a canvas and paint them on the theme of parts becoming whole. They hope to achieve is a big mural in the office
If students need to contact Title IX the office is located in the ACC and the phone number is 518-564-3281 and the email is title.ix@plattsburgh.edu.
Psychology major and title IX intern Zoaera Phlen believes that the move of the office to the ACC makes Title IX more accessible to students.
“We are here, we have a lot of resources and use them,” said Phlen. “We are here for the students.”
