University can often feel heavy as we navigate the concepts around being on the cusp of adulthood. In doing so we often forget about the beauty of simply existing amongst each other. It becomes easy to forget that we coexist amongst individuals with unique life experiences and cultures. Respect at Monash was a gentle reminder of everyone’s uniqueness and how we should see beauty in that uniqueness rather than a challenge.

The event aimed to highlight the importance of boundaries in three vital areas. The first area was physical boundaries. Physical boundaries can be challenging to navigate individually or together however, looking at the physical boundary booth adorned with pink pastel decorations and welcoming art eases the weight of dealing with a heavy topic allowing individuals to feel welcomed. The booth aimed to convey the importance of physical boundaries by blindfolding individuals and making them march in place with their friends, although the idea seems trivial at the beginning, it resembles feeling connected with someone new and how you can feel blindsighted when becoming vulnerable. Not only does it teach you to be more conscious of your movements but it also makes you more aware of yourself. This activity perfectly encapsulates the experience of navigating someone’s physical boundaries as it highlights the need for gentleness and caution, not only to the other person but to yourself too. After completing the activity successfully, the players were rewarded with stamps symbolizing the feeling of contentment when connecting with someone respectfully creates a safe space.

The second area tackled was emotional boundaries. This booth aimed to create awareness of the different emotional states we can exist in by highlighting various prompts and using colourful strings to attach each prompt to the other. By the end of the event, the notice board symbolised a spider web of differently coloured strings intertwined with each other, helping us realise that all of us feel a variety of emotions and it not only affects us but others as well. The booth stimulated an emotional barometer assisting students to become aware of their current emotional state and learning how to communicate those emotions healthily. 

The final area tackled was digital boundaries. Given that most of the connections we build tend to be digital, the digital booth created situations over emails, websites and other digital mediums where individuals had to identify how to act in which situations and differentiate between what is safe and what isn’t. The digital booth helped educate on internet safety in an engaging way making it feel like a game.

Throughout the event, students bonded over these activities, taking pictures and cracking jokes with each other. The event cultivated positivity by stimulating an environment that allows students to discuss boundaries and respect in an engaging and welcoming way. As we make our way to the real world, I hope this event reminds us that existing amongst diverse and unique individuals can be a beautiful thing and knowing how to draw your boundaries and respect others’ boundaries can lead to safe spaces that the world could use more of.

Written by Reona

Photos by Sheng Jie