By Emma Shinker
Features Editor
Students gathered in Allen Commons on Friday, Jan. 19 for an hour-long program titled “Boundaries and Communication in Relationships.” The event, sponsored by the College’s Title IX and Community Health Promotion offices, consisted of a presentation by staff from OneEighty.
Based in Wooster and serving Wayne and Holmes counties, OneEighty provides a multitude of services, including support for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, addiction and substance abuse support, mental health counseling and safe housing. The organization also often works with local schools, emphasizing the importance of prevention education.
“The key demographic for intimate partner violence and sexual assault is women ages 18 to 24,” said presenter Gayle Byrne, response coordinator and victim advocate at OneEighty. “So it is particularly important that prevention education occurs at middle school, high school and college level.”
Byrne, assisted by Community Education and Outreach Coordinator Shaquez Dickens, delivered a presentation about ways to think about, communicate and draw boundaries in all different types of relationships, whether with friends, family or intimate partners.
Before getting started, students helped themselves to the much-anticipated hot chocolate bar — complete with a variety of toppings — and settled into comfy chairs. Byrne began the presentation by emphasizing that boundaries are “all about the gray,” and can be different in every situation and relationship. As she discussed physical, emotional and intellectual boundaries, she described their importance to physical safety and mental health.
Using the metaphor from Henry Ammar’s TEDx Talk titled “What Porcupines Teach Us About Boundaries,” Byrne and Dickens explained that we must find the sweet spot in every relationship where we are not giving too much or too little of ourselves to the other person.
Curious about OneEighty’s advice for setting boundaries? Byrne recommends being clear and calm, and wants people to remember that they do not owe the other person an explanation unless they want to give one.
If you’re interested in learning more from OneEighty, they will be partnering with the College to put on two more events throughout the semester. Though dates are not finalized, the second presentation will be about green, yellow and red flags in relationships as well as love languages. The third will be about how to get out of an unhealthy relationship.
You can find resources from OneEighty at the Longbrake Wellness Center, online at https://www.one-eighty.org/ and at their location in Wooster.