On Wednesday, the student sexual assault prevention group Speakout will begin to spread its message across the student body — literally.
At 10 a.m., as students pass through Frist Campus Center, members of the group will begin handing out free t-shirts, which students will be encouraged to wear on Thursday to raise awareness about issues of sexual assault and healthy sexual relationships on campus.
"I think a lot of younger girls don't know what's expected of them in college," said Tawny Chritton '07, director of "Sex on a Saturday Night" and member of Speakout. "We want to empower people to know that whatever they're comfortable with is what is expected of them, and they have every right to speak up at any time."
Those who choose to don the shirts — a group which will include President Tilghman, University Health Service workers, professors and all Public Safety officers — will aid the grassroots group in spreading the message: "Be a friend, not a bystander."
This message embodies the group's hope to empower students to get involved when they view their peers at risk and to have the courage to follow their instincts and take action in threatening situations.
Sarah Erickson '07, co-founder of Speakout, said the strikingly high number of assaults reported last year was one of the factors that inspired the formation of the group last April.
In 2005, a total of five sexual offenses were reported on campus, an increase of two from the previous year. It is difficult, though, to say the change represents a trend, since "sexual assaults are highly unreported," said Charles Davall, deputy director of Public Safety.
"I think the more people become aware of crimes like this, the more likely they would be to report it," he said. He added that Public Safety is "very excited" about Speakout and its goals to increase awareness about these issues.
Davall noted that many victims are unaware that they can report sexual assault anonymously and request to withhold a criminal investigation.
"A lot of it is education on campus, and we hope to see a lot more of that," he said.
Speakout's T-shirt campaign is just the beginning of Speakout's movement to raise awareness and hopefully prevent sexual assault and harassment on campus. In the future, the group plans to work with Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE) and the Interclub Council in fostering constructive dialogue on these issues, Erickson said.
One of the group's goals is to enhance the sexual health education portion of the residential college adviser training process. The members also hope to provide a follow-up to the popular "Sex on a Saturday Night" skit for sophomores to ease them into the "new social scenarios" they will be facing at eating club initiations, Erickson said.
"The whole idea," she explained, "is to get people thinking: What do I want? Am I comfortable with this?"
Other future projects include a campus-wide survey about sexual assault and a poster campaign that will be assembled over winter break, Erickson said. These resources include statistics about sexual assault, sexual health contacts and a "study guide" providing tips for dealing with the precarious situations that often occur in campus nightlife.
Though Speakout is a student-run group, Erickson said the organization is working with the University administration. In addition to nine undergraduates, the group includes Women's Center director Amada Sandoval, SHARE director Suraiya Baluch, Dante Ricci, the SHARE men's program coordinator and Wilson College assistant master Leslie Hinkson GS. Other administrators, including Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson, have provided additional support, Erickson said.
"We're just a bunch of people from different perspectives, all interested in these same issues," Chritto said.
While SHARE provides professional support to students who may have been the victims of assault, Erickson said Speakout provides a needed venue for the expression of the student voice. "We're able to be a little more vocal in a way [SHARE] can't be," she said, adding that the two groups "have a very similar vision."
"SHARE and Speakout complement each other very nicely," Baluch said in an email.
Read More
‘A brilliant young contemporary writer and a beautiful human being’: Remembering Lauren Blackburn ’26
Victoria Davies and Caitlyn TabladaBlackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”
Blackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”
GSG approves audit, delays budget approval after ‘insufferable’ meeting
Nikki HanThe final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
The final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
Effort to restore chapel’s pews slowly progresses
Ben GoldstonHead carpenter Jim Sullivan has been restoring the Chapel pews over the last year. The dry atmosphere of the Chapel has warped the wooden pews over the years.
Head carpenter Jim Sullivan has been restoring the Chapel pews over the last year. The dry atmosphere of the Chapel has warped the wooden pews over the years.