Various student organizations and individuals at Southeast Missouri State University combined their efforts to recognize 'Denim Day', an international education campaign for sexual assault awareness, originating in Italy. In addition to Denim Day-specific activities, Southeast’s event also served as a general sexual assault awareness and education day, ending with a 'unity walk' across campus in solidarity with survivors.
KRCU Public Radio had the chance to speak with Nur-E-Afra Anika, Diversity and Inclusion chair for the Student Government Association at Southeast.
“The event we have here today is ‘I Won't Stand For’. Here we have t-shirts that say ‘I Won’t Stand For ____’. We have people writing ‘ won't stand for injustice, inequality, cruelty against animals.’”
Anika’s committee at the university works to make a more inclusive environment for all students. Another organization that does this takes a more active and personal approach specifically around sexual assault.
KRCU spoke with Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs, the faculty advisor for Southeast’s RASA (Redhawk’s Against Sexual Assault) organization. Events like these are only a small part of what they do as an organization on a day-to-day basis says Clubbs.
“The unity walk is a very public representation of support for survivors. On a day-to-day basis, it’s a little more private. We do have folks that are able to contact our organization and we connect them with a peer who can help them as they go through the process of healing.”
According to Clubbs, RASA was founded by one student and grew into a larger organization focused on providing support to survivors of sexual assault.
“She mentioned that she wished there was a peer organization on campus to help survivors of sexual assault. Someone who could help people navigate the process of reporting, of getting treatment, and counseling. When she told me that, I said ‘then you should make one.’ ”
Ending with a “unity walk”, the event drew several students and served as an educational end to Sexual Assault Awareness Month.