Valentineās Day can be a polarizing holiday. Even for those who are in relationships, thereās pressure to spend money on gifts that can seem impersonal and insincere. This year, however, a group of CU Ā鶹¹ŁĶų students are working to make Valentineās Day more meaningful by bringing a new campaign to campus.
Featuring the hashtag #RespectHer, the campaign was created as a passion project by several female advertising professionalsāincluding College of Media, Communication and Information alumna Brynna Aylward (AdvertSocā11), who is a copywriter at BBDO Energy in Chicago. Itās built on the idea of reframing Valentineās Day as a time to respect women and fight for their rights and equality.
Through the campaign, people are encouraged to give their loved ones something more meaningful than chocolate, jewelry or flowers. The groupās website, , allows people to personalize a card and then donate to six selected organizations that promote womenās rights and fight issues like sexual harassment and assault.Ģż
āAfter #MeToo and #TimesUp, this is a call to action,ā said Alec Parezo, a senior studying strategic communication who is leading campaign efforts on campus. āItās time for individuals to cross that line and issue a vow of respect.ā
In addition to visiting the groupās website, Parezo and fellow students from departments across campus will run a pop-up shop on Valentineās Day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the University Memorial Center. The students will pass out cards and hope to have an area where people can write about and discuss what respect for women actually looks like. They also plan to create a video of female students describing what respect means to them, as well as an art installation, Parezo said.
āThe whole idea is to tell women weāre listening,ā he said. āRespect is about listening and being heard.ā