Student safety week to focus on ‘Navigating Your Way to Personal Safety’

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Ohio Northern University will begin its second annual student safety week, featuring a number of activities, on Oct. 8. The theme this year is “Navigating Your Way to Personal Safety.”

Sponsored by the ONU Security Office, in partnership with ONU’s Department of History, Politics and Justice and the Office of Business Services and Risk Management, the event will touch on subjects such as identity theft, relationship abuse and human trafficking.

On Monday, Oct. 8, the week kicks off with a lecture titled “Identity Theft, Safe Travel” from Lt. David Gillispie, a Lima Police Department investigator and sworn federal officer who works with the FBI on the Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children’s task force. Gillespe will speak at 7 p.m. in the McIntosh Ballroom.

Debbie Norris will speak about relationship abuse in the McIntosh Ballroom on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. Norris, who created the Heather’s Voice website to educate teens about dating violence and domestic abuse, lost her daughter to domestic abuse that eventually led to her death.

The next two nights, Wednesday and Thursday, will focus on human trafficking beginning with a showing of the movie “Taken” on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the McIntosh Ballroom. On Thursday, Theresa Flores will speak on human trafficking in the McIntosh Ballroom at 7 p.m. A reception and book signing in the McIntosh activities room will follow Flores’ presentation.

Flores, survivor and author, travels the U.S. sharing her story of trafficking and slavery while living in an upper-middle class suburb of Detroit. At 15 years of age, she was drugged, raped and tortured for two long years. Kept in bondage, living at home and attempting to keep her family safe, she attended school during the day alongside her abusers. Involuntarily involved in a large criminal ring, Flores endured more as a child than most adults will ever face their entire lives.

The week will conclude with a raffle conducted by the ONU Security Office. Raffle tickets can be acquired by attending the events throughout the week.

All safety week activities are free and open to the public.