Students Against Violence Peer Education

Student Health Center : Texas State University
Pin buttons spread out with text that reads "Meetings: Mondays at 5:00 PM in the Student Health Center in room 202.""

SAV Meetings

SAV has meetings every Monday at 5:00 pm at the Student Health Center in room 202. All students and gender identities are welcome.

What is Students Against Violence (SAV)?

SAV is a peer education team at Texas State. It is an educational resource for the Texas State community of faculty, staff, student organizations, residence halls and the surrounding communities. The SAV members are trained to present the following violence related programs:

  • Yes Means Yes: Getting Consent
  • Alcohol Bystander Intervention Training
  • Hate Wears Many Faces
  • Red Flags in Relationships
  • Cyberbullying

Visit the Presentation Request Form to request one of these presentations.

Joining SAV

Joining SAV has many benefits. It provides you with a chance to increase your knowledge about violence-related issues, gain self-confidence, improve your communication skills, and to provide a needed service on your campus.

You should consider joining SAV if you have a desire to work with the Texas State community, motivation to increase knowledge of violence, and a sincere concern for the overall being of yourself and other students. SAV members must be able to work independently or on a team and have the ability to be open-minded and non-judgmental when discussing sensitive issues.

For more information on joining SAV, call 512.245.2161, visit Room 101 in Encino Hall, or email SAVPeerEd@txstate.edu.

Students Against Violence's Mission

Students Against Violence (SAV) seeks to break the link which exists between the ways individuals are socialized and violence by examining how oppression is linked to violence. SAV advocates, educates, empowers, and organizes Texas State students to challenge and interrupt systems of oppression through an intersectional lens.

Become an Upstander

We all have a role to play in preventing violence on our campus and supporting those who have experienced violence. Learn and practice ways to safely intervene as a witness of sexual violence, dating violence, micro-aggressions, or hate.

Education and Support Resources

For articles, books, videos, and podcast recommendations on racial injustice, sexual violence, and dating violence, check out Health Promotion Services' educational collection.

Meet our Students Against Violence Officers

Portrait of SAV Vice-President, Monserrat, standing in front of a greenery.

Montserrat Luna
President

Favorite Topics

  • Sexual and Dating Violence Prevention
  • Racial Justice and Unity
  • CONSENT!!!!
  • Recognizing Privilege

Interests

  • Thrift Shopping
  • Music (Singing and Dancing badly)
  • Creating videos!
  • Going out with friends to COFFEE SHOPS!
Portrait of SAV Secretary, Makena, standing in front of a tree.

Makena Burns
Vice-President

Favorite Topics

  • LGBTQ+ rights
  • Intersectionality
  • Disability Rights and Activism
  • Gender Socialization

Interests

  • Video games
  • Longboarding
  • Embroidery
  • Playing board games with my friends
Photo of Erin, SAV Officer.

Erin Whitney
Secretary

Favorite Topics

  • Sexual Assault awareness and prevention
  • LGBTQ+ Identities
  • Support for Survivors
  • Intersectionality in Justice and Advocacy

Interests

  • Self-expression in fashion and makeup
  • Art (both creating and appreciating)
  • TTRPG's
  • Opera and music!
Photo of Levi, SAV Officer.

Levi Gaines
Event Coordinator

Favorite Topics

  • LGBTQIA2+ rights
  • Sexual violence awareness
  • Healthy relationship awareness
  • Intersectionality and the culture of violence/prevention

Interests

  • Video games
  • Quality time with friends
  • Overanalyzing shows
  • Listening to dramatic music and imagining I'm in an edit

Meet our Students Against Violence Advisor

Photo of Kelsey Banton, Health Promotion Specialist at Health Promotion Services

Kelsey Banton

  • Student Against Violence Advisor, Health Promotion Specialist
  • BA, Psychology, Texas Tech University

Email: k_b260@txstate.edu

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I'm an Ally!

Expand FAQ List

  • Kelsey Banton is a Health Promotion Specialist at Texas State University. She is an advisor for Students Against Violence and Healthy Cats and addresses sexual violence, dating/domestic violence, stalking, and harassment in the Texas State community. She has worked to prevent sexual violence as an advocate, activist, and educator for 13 years, focusing largely on the intersections of violence and social justice. She has worked and volunteered at domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers and child advocacy centers across Texas. Prior to joining Texas State, Kelsey worked for San Antonio Rape Crisis Center as the Director of Education and Training where she facilitated youth-based groups and trained on the multi-disciplinary issues of interpersonal violence for diverse populations. Her work has allowed her to develop trainings and programming for violence prevention educators, military personnel, law enforcement, medical professionals, university faculty and staff members and school-based personnel locally and statewide. She was invited in 2010 to sit on the Texas Primary Prevention Planning Committee, which directs strategies and evaluation efforts for implementation of sexual violence prevention across the state of Texas. While earning her B.A. in Psychology at Texas Tech University, she served her community as an online and hospital advocate for survivors.