BY TATIANA SABANERO
Recent Champion of Change winner Celene Lopez is a graduate of the 2013 Bulldog class and is now attending Humboldt University. Her community service in Bulldog Country consisted of starting an animal welfare club in 2011. Since then, she has adopted a dog who is an emotional support animal at Humboldt State University. Her most successful accomplishment was participating in a consent based program called Check It and gaining the title of Champion of Change from the White House.
Check It is a student led movement on Humboldt State University’s campus. The event empowers students to intervene in moments of potential harm, specifically focusing on sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. Check It was launched by Mary Sue Savage, Humboldt State University’s prevention coordinator, and a group of students from across campus. Its purpose is to create a community where survivors are being supported and people causing harm are told their actions are intolerable and punished. It also provides students and individuals in the community with resources.
Like all programs and reforms, this process has not been easy.
“Culture change does not happen overnight; however, it has been amazing to see how far we have come in just a few years. It has been really rewarding to collaborate with so many people from different student groups across campus,” Lopez said.
However, what motivates her and her peers in the community is to reinvent the way this culture is seen. It not only allows her, but it allows others to work on a movement that has an impact on the lives of others. The goal is to continue working hard to create community and institutional change when thinking about the violence in our communities.
The overall goal is to “End rape culture. We want to live in a world without violence. While it takes time to achieve this goal, we want to live in a community where people who have experienced harm are being supported,“ Lopez said.
By being a recipient for Champions of Change, it has truly impacted herself and her community. It was not only an individual effort, but a sacrifice made by everyone in the Check It program.
“This is truly a group award. Everyone at Humboldt State University has been working so hard on this movement. It is wonderful to be recognized for all the effort put into this culture change,” Lopez said.
Lopez knows that the Bulldog community helped fuel her love for helping others.“Know and believe that we can change culture we have the power to stand up against violence and end it,” Lopez said.
