There are more than 43,000 students at the University of Wisconsin. You and I are only a small drop in the student ocean, but everyone has a story.

Imagine you’ve just had the best year of your life. You did well in your classes, you were the star player on your sports team and you’re just about ready to go home for your summer adventure. Then your ex-boyfriend starts bothering you again. You thought everything was in the past, but now he won’t stop texting you and trying to see you. You tell him to leave you alone and that you’ve moved on.

But one night, he shows up at your apartment intoxicated, angry and violent. This had happened in the past, but since you’d broken up, you thought it was over. Things spiral out of control, and then the unthinkable happens.

Your parents get a call saying you were beaten to death, and there was evidence of previous relationship abuse.

This is what happened to Yeardley Love, a senior at the University of Virginia who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. She was three weeks away from graduating and the star player of UVA’s lacrosse team. Sharon Love, her mother, started The One Love Foundation to honor her daughter and make sure that no one else has to experience the extreme consequences of relationship violence.

The One Love Foundation’s goal is to show the progression of relationship violence through the Escalation Workshop, where people can talk about the warning signs, explain what you can do and provide a safe environment to discuss the issues.

Relationship violence and abuse can be well hidden so that many people do not notice the signs. One Love is a new student organization on campus with the goal to help educate people on signs of abuse and ways to talk to those affected.

You may think that this doesn’t apply to you, but one in three women and one in four men will be in a violent relationship in their lifetime. Nearly 50 percent of these women and 40 percent of these men experience relationship violence for the first time between ages 18 to 24, and young women ages 16 to 24 are at a three times greater risk for abuse.

Domestic violence persists quietly, despite increased awareness, resources

Check out Team One Love, UW and find out what you can do to change the culture surrounding relationship violence.

Maiya Weber ([email protected]) is president and co-founder of Team One Love. She is a senior majoring in communication arts and legal studies.