Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

Each April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is recognized across the country in an effort to call attention to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and impacts everyone.

Through various events hosted on campus aimed at raising awareness about the impact of sexual assault and promoting its prevention, SAAM provides our campus community a dedicated opportunity to individually and collectively reflect on and demonstrate our support for those who have experienced trauma.

All SU community members are encouraged to observe SAAM and are invited to participate in events arranged by Wellness and Health Promotion and other campus partners, including the Office of Multicultural Affairs and students of the Health and Wellness Crew (HAWC).

• Participate in and/or View “The Clothesline Project”
  April 12-16, In-Person and Virtual
  
  The Clothesline Project is a vehicle for people affected by violence to express their experiences and support by decorating a shirt. They then hang the shirt on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of power-based personal violence. Students are welcome to participate in person and/or by submitting photos. All can view the impactful collection of shirts while it is displayed across the hall from the Wellness and Health Promotion office (Student Center 380) or online.
  
  
• Attend Identity, Power, and Sexual Violence: Workshop
  April 19, 5–6:30 p.m., Virtual 
  
  Historically, the conversation about sex and violence has primarily centered on the experiences of white cis hetero women, overlooking the disproportionate impact of sexual assault on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals. This workshop, presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs Assistant Director Ashlee Day, invites participants to learn more about the impact of sexual violence on people of marginalized identities today as well as the history of the role sexual violence has played in the oppression of LGBTQ+ communities and communities of color.
  
  
• Join Sexual Citizens Book Discussion
  April 21, noon–1:30 p.m., Virtual
  
  A discussion on the book, Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study of Sex, Power, and Assault on Campus, by authors Jennifer S. Hirsch and Shamus Khan. Drawing on the Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation (SHIFT) at Columbia University, Hirsch and Khan present a new framework that emphasizes sexual assault’s social roots, based on the concepts of “sexual projects,” “sexual citizenship” and “sexual geographies.” Students are welcome to join peer health educators for this discussion. Free copies of the book are available to students in Student Center 380, made possible by Wellness and Health Promotion, the Health and Wellness Crew, the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, the Master of Social Work Program and the Anthropology Club.
  
  
• Participate in and/or View “Denim Day”
  April 28, In-Person and Virtual
  
  Denim day is an international event to raise awareness of sexual assault. The campaign began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that because the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Wearing jeans on this day has become an international symbol of protest against such attitudes about sexual assault. Students can show support by wearing jeans and/or posting to social media platforms to show solidarity. 
  
  
• Attend “Take Back the Night”
  April 29, 5–8 p.m., Virtual
  
  Take Back the Night is held at numerous universities across the U.S. to raise awareness of sexual violence. Virtually join HAWC for this event, in solidarity with those who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse and all other forms of sexual violence. The event is a virtual space for the Seattle University community to gather and will include featured speakers from the greater Seattle area, the opportunity to share personal stories and a guided meditation with HAWC members.

For more information and links to events, visit Wellness and Health Promotion.

For information about resources and reporting options for campus community members impacted by sexual misconduct, please visit this page.

Sincerely,

Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J.
President

Andrea Herrera Katahira
Assistant Vice President for Institutional Equity
Title IX Coordinator | ADA/504 Coordinator | Chief EEO Officer