The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, the Alliance for Sexual Assault Prevention and several other groups are hosting the College’s annual Sexual Assault Awareness Week from April 1 to April 13.
p. “[The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness week is] to raise awareness about the issue of sexual assault and invite students to take a more active role in becoming educated about the issue, creating an environment that is more supportive of survivors, and in ending sexual violence on our campus,” Trisha Hunsaker, the sexual assault educator at the Office of Sexual Assault Services, said.
p. Hunsaker said that in the last six years that she has overseen the event, participation has increased.
p. This year, free T-shirts offered at two of the events and topics on sexual education are being used to promote student participation in the week-long event.
p. In addition to the FMLA and ASAP, Sexual Assault Peer Advocates, Every 2 Minutes, One in Four, Student Assembly, ISC and Delta Gamma Sorority contributed to the event.
p. Hunsaker said that a video on incest, a topic related to sexual assault that [is] not often discussed, kicked off the week. A self-defense workshop was held on Tuesday in Tidewater A.
p. Take Back the Night, an integral part of sexual awareness week, was held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Crim Dell Meadow. The event included a march, a candlelight vigil and a motivational speech by a sexual assault survivor and former student of the College about the social implications of surviving a sexual assault on campus.
p. The event ends April 13 with a panel discussion entitled “Porn and You: Articulating Healthy Sexuality,” which explores the link between pornography and sexual violence and whether pornography contributes to a culture that eroticizes violence.
p. Sexual Awareness Month is held nationwide every April. A candlelight vigil was held last night.