Denim Day by Blogger Rhaina

To me, Sexual Assault Awareness Month means a chance for my community to show support to survivors. At Mississippi State University, there are several annual events associated with sexual assault awareness and prevention. One such event is Denim Day.

Denim Day began in 1999 when an Italian supreme court overturned a rape conviction based on what the victim was wearing—tight blue jeans. Members of both foreign and U.S. Congress protested the ruling by wearing denim jeans to work. Today, across the nation, agencies with dress codes ask their employees to donate money towards sexual violence prevention, and in return the employees can wear jeans to work for a day. Politicians, students, and others may wear jeans to symbolize solidarity against sexual assault.

At MSU, the student body is asked to donate blue jeans to the Health Education and Wellness Office. These jeans are then donated to local causes such as Safe Haven, Inc., a shelter for abused women which also operates a rape crisis hotline. MSU celebrates Denim Day in a unique way—if you would like your campus or your community to do something similar to show their support for this event, getting involved is easy!

Denim Day 2015 is on April 29^th, and there are currently over four million registered participants. If you would like to participate, there are several things you can do. Sign up on www.denimdayinfo.org, ask your employers or professors if they would consider joining in, donate jeans to a local shelter, or simply wear blue jeans to show support.

Participating in Sexual Assault Awareness Month doesn’t always mean being bold, or loud, or hosting an extravagant event. You don’t need a lot of money, or a large group of people, or any special skills. You can help raise awareness for sexual assault by doing something as simple as changing your outfit. As Michelle Obama said, “Don’t ever underestimate the importance that you have, because courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” This April, make a small change. Stand up for something. Let your courage and your hope be contagious, and be a light for others and a call to awareness. That’s what this month is all about.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: What You Can Do At SLU by Saint Louis University blogger Abigail

Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Kind of a mouthful, right? It’s a mouthful, but it’s an important one for students to understand and recognize.

Here at SLU, we live in a fairly sheltered environment. A bubble, if you will. The words, “That happens, but it doesn’t happen here” are uttered constantly around campus about issues like racism, sexism and sexual assault.

The problem is, it does happen here. Sexual assault happens everywhere, so much so that it’s estimated 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is important because it starts conversations and shines light on the fact that there are issues everywhere. No one is immune to sexual assault, and the first step to preventing it is acknowledging that sexual assault exists.

Luckily, there are groups at SLU, in St. Louis, and around the country that have organized events during the month of April to talk about sexual assault. I’ve complied a list below that I’m sure is not completely comprehensive, but is a good place to start.

·      Project Not Asking For It – This project hits on the fact that no matter how you’re dancing or what you’re wearing, you’re not asking for sexual interactions. Here's the link to the Facebook event. It’s located SGA Student Lounge today (April 8) from 11-1, tomorrow (April 9) from 4-6, and Friday April 10 from 11-1, sponsored by SLU Wellness and SLU TV.

·      A Walk in Her Shoes – An interactive presentation by Safe Connections about sexual assault. Here's a link to the Facebook event. It’s located in BSC 253 B&C at 7:00 pm on Monday April 13^th, sponsored by Una, the Feminist Voice of SLU.

·      Denim Day – Take a stand by wearing jeans in solidarity on April 29^th against a 1999 court case that declared jeans were the reason a woman was raped. Here's the link to the Facebook event, brought to SLU by Una.

·      Take Back the Night – A night of performances, dialogue, food, community and a vigil to join forces against sexual violence. Here's the link to the Facebook event. It’s hosted by Una and takes place from 7-10 pm on Thursday, April 30^th.

·      Stroll to Heal the Soul – A run/walk to bring awareness to sexual violence. Here's the link to register. Takes place just outside of St. Louis on April 25^th at 7:00 am.

Keep an eye out for other events coming up this month, remembering that it’s up to us to start the discussion about sexual assault.

Speak Up and Help Spread Awareness by Karly Sacco

To me, sexual assault awareness month is something that needs more attention. It is unfortunate that there has to be a month to make awareness to such awful acts that occur in the first place, but what we can do now is raise consciousness to those who want and need to know more about sexual assaults. We as human beings need to start making a big difference in the world and participate in showing our community that we can make a change. No matter if it is just writing a blog, attending sexual assault awareness events, or giving speeches at your college, work, or community gatherings. 

            Just getting the word out there about how serious this issue is will make a difference in the long run. This month to me means that people are continuing to suffer and go through struggles, but on the positive end it also means that we are creating change and are helping those who have and are suffering. I go to a small private university, where some people are completely either unaware, or just don’t seem to care about the seriousness of sexual assault awareness month.

            I want to become more involved with spreading awareness on this serious topic, and I feel like creating a safe environment at my school for those who feel it is important or have suffered from sexual assaults to come and talk and share stories would be a great first step within my university's community. I feel that my generation sometimes gets caught up in issues that are so individualistic that they forget about helping others. We need to make a change for the future generations to follow.