Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,  

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and each year, Seattle University recognizes this month by hosting a number of events for the SU community related to awareness, education, and the prevention of sexual violence.  

For SAAM 2023, Seattle University joins campuses around the nation as we host events centered around this year’s theme of “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity.” We call on everyone to help create a future free of violence by recognizing the varying and overlapping oppressions that contribute to cultures conducive to sexual violence and striving toward creating equitable cultural changes. We all play a role in the prevention of sexual violence and discrimination, and as an educational institution, we have a critical role to play.  

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Seattle University is pleased to announce its launch of the Get Help project, which includes a QR code sticker and website (www.seattleu.edu/get-help) designed to support all members of the university community. The Get Help website is a survivor-centered resource designed to facilitate quick access to reporting and other support services. Seattle University placed stickers in the stalls of each bathroom on campus. The stickers ask “Are you okay?” and include a QR code that lands directly on the Get Help website. The Get Help project is a collaborative effort between the School of Law’s Family Law Center and Seattle University’s Wellness and Health Promotion. This project is possible, in part, due to the generous support of the Moccasin Lake Foundation in helping to establish the Family Law Center.  

While there is no doubt efforts like this must be ongoing and not limited to one month, SAAM provides a dedicated opportunity for us to collectively demonstrate our support for those who have experienced trauma, such as “The SAAM Art Showcase” on April 25, as well as a variety of ways to learn about the interconnected ways in which identity impacts interpersonal violence, including the Identity, Power and Sexual Violence Workshop on April 5 and Supporting a Survivor workshop on April 27. 

We would like to extend my appreciation to all the offices for coordinating community education efforts this month and throughout the year, notably Wellness and Health Promotion and the Health and Wellness Crew (HAWC).  

We invite and encourage all Seattle University students, faculty, and staff to participate in the events this month:   

• Contribute to and/or View “The SAAM Art Showcase” 
  April 26, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Student Center 130 (Multipurpose Room) 
  Help honor the stories and experiences of survivors during this SAAM by contributing to and/or attending the SAAM Art Showcase hosted by Wellness and Health Promotion. This pop-up art showcase features artwork created and submitted by members of the Seattle University community to raise awareness of sexual violence. We invite campus and community members to view and enter this space of empowerment for survivors who are sharing their stories and healing journeys through artistic expression. T-shirts that were previously displayed on campus for the Clothesline Project will also be featured as a part of the SAAM Art Showcase. The Clothesline Project is a vehicle for people affected by violence to express their experiences and support by decorating a shirt, including text, images, or expressions of their choosing. 
  If you would like to create and contribute your art to the SAAM Art Showcase, please click this link to learn more: https://tinyurl.com/SAAMArtShowcase  
  Sponsors: HAWC, Wellness and Health Promotion, and Campus Ministry

• Write and/or share poems at the Poetry Workshop & Open Mic 
  April 18, 4:00 – 6:00 pm, Student Center 380 (Wellness and Health Promotion Office) 
  Join the Wellness and Health Promotion office for an interactive poetry workshop to learn a new wellness practice (or revisit an existing one!). Learn tips and tricks for written creative expression with a focus on healing, and mental and emotional health. Attendees will receive a free journal to customize with themed stickers or their own artwork. Then, we'll practice free-writing poetry together from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Beginning at 5:00 pm, attendees will be given the option to share poetry that has been impactful in their lives. Poetry shared can be from other poets, or poems that attendees created before or during the poetry workshop. 
  Sponsors: HAWC and Wellness and Health Promotion 

• Stop by the “Survivors Rock” Sexual Assault Resources Table Event  April 4, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Student Center Lobby (1st Floor) 
  Community members are welcome to stop by the 1st floor of the Student Center and help kick off Sexual Assault Awareness Month on SAAM Day of Action. Each year on the first Tuesday in April, SAAM Day of Action is an opportunity to bring awareness to sexual violence and highlight upcoming events focused on prevention and education. This year, you’re invited to paint a rock with a message of support and love for survivors, to collectively communicate that “Survivors Rock!” Rocks will be placed around campus as reminders of support and to help spread awareness for SAAM. 
  Sponsors: HAWC, Wellness and Health Promotion, Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Forensics, and Alpha Phi Sigma 

•  Join our fundraiser to support King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) 
  April 7- General Porpoise will donate 10 percent of all profits to KCSARC on this day   
  April 26 – Attend the Seattle University vs University of Washington Softball Game and donate to KCSARC (donation information posted at the concession stands) 
  King County Sexual Assault Resource Center is an independent nonprofit providing free, confidential support to survivors, families, supporters, and allies impacted by sexual assault in our communities. KCSARC offers online resources, therapy, family services, prevention and education, general advocacy, and legal advocacy. They have a long history of being a trusted expert in resources, experience, and empowerment while also seeking social change and education. We invite all community members to join Seattle University and our community partners in raising funds for KCSARC. For more information or to make a direct donation go to https://www.kcsarc.org/en/. 
  Sponsors: HAWC, Wellness and Health Promotion, Seattle University Athletics, General Porpoise 

• Learn about Identity, Power, and Sexual Violence: Workshop   
  April 5, 5 – 6:30 pm, Student Center 322 OMA Lounge 
  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 (OMA) 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. 
  Sponsors: OMA and Wellness and Health Promotion 

•  Attend the Sexual Assault Awareness Panel on Zoom 
  April 11, 6-7:30 pm, Zoom (details at above link) 
  Join the Alpha Phi Sigma - Pi Delta Chapter as they host a virtual (Zoom) Sexual Assault Awareness Panel. This panel discussion will focus on the intersection of the criminal justice system and sexual violence through diverse professional and theoretical perspectives. The equitable prevention of sexual violence necessitates an examination of the nuances of sexual assault and survivorship and in line with this year’s SAAM theme, this panel aims to draw those connections. Attendees can deepen their understanding of this complex topic, submit questions, learn ways to generate awareness, & provide support to those impacted by sexual assault.  
  Sponsors: Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Forensics, Alpha Phi Sigma, Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX, and Wellness and Health Promotion

• Learn about consent at F.R.I.E.S & Consent 
  April 12, 11 am – 12 pm, Student Center (1st Floor, Hearth Area)  
  Consent is required in everything we do – from borrowing a pen (“may I borrow your pen?”) to more intimate interactions. Join Wellness and Health Promotion on April 12th to learn why asking for consent is as easy as remembering “I want F.R.I.E.S with that!” Stop by the 1st floor of the Student Center to learn the what, when, where, and how of asking for consent and get a voucher for FREE french fries from Cherry Street Market! 
  Sponsors: HAWC and Wellness and Health Promotion 

•  Participate in the Yoga for Healing Class 
  April 17, 8 – 9 pm, Eisiminger Fitness Center Studio 1 (UREC Room #271) 
  Join UREC for "Yoga for Healing", a vinyasa flow type class focused on calming the nervous system and processing stress out of the body. This class is in partnership with Wellness and Health Promotion as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). No yoga experience needed. All are welcome. Click here to register for the class! 
  Sponsors: University Recreation (UREC), HAWC, and Wellness and Health Promotion 

• Attend: Steal for Teal Softball Game in Honor of Denim Day  
  April 26, 6 pm, Logan Field - Seattle University vs. University of Washington  
  Cheer on the Seattle University softball team as they play against the University of Washington on Denim Day (April 26th)! To raise awareness of sexual assault and stand in solidarity with survivors, we invite all attendees to wear denim or teal to the game. Stop by the Wellness and Health Promotion resource table to take a picture and have it uploaded to our social media platforms to show your support for survivors! There will also be information posted at the concession stands to learn how to donate and support King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC). (Learn more about the significance of wearing denim (content warning: discussions of sexual violence).  
  Sponsors: Seattle University Athletics, Seattle University Softball, HAWC, and Wellness and Health Promotion 

• Learn how to Support a Survivor: Workshop 
  April 27, 6-7:30 pm, Student Center 380 (Wellness and Health Promotion Office) 
  Join Wellness and Health Promotion to learn how to support a survivor of sexual assault and respond to disclosures. During this workshop, attendees will discuss best practices for showing care for a survivor, in addition to examining how power and privilege intersect with violence. To conclude this workshop, attendees will write letters to survivors who are currently incarcerated for defending themselves in the face of violence 
  Sponsors: HAWC and Wellness and Health Promotion 

• Other ways to participate: 

  - Stop in the Wellness and Health Promotion office (Student Center 380) to view or rent a book from the booklist 

  - Follow Wellness and Health Promotion and HAWC’s social media campaign 
  @wellnessatseattleu 
  @seattleuhawc 

  - Join Wellness and Health Promotion ConnectSU page for events 
  https://seattleu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/wellness-and-health-promotion 

  - Wear a teal ribbon in recognition and support 
  Pick-up locations: 
  Wellness and Health Promotion Office (Student Center 380) 
   April 4 during the “Survivors Rock” tabling event 
   April 26 at the Steal for Teal Softball Game vs. UW  
  …and more! 

If you are interested in volunteering at one of these events or getting more involved in Healthy Relationships, please e-mail wellness@seattleu.edu. For information about resources and reporting options for those on campus impacted by sexual misconduct, please visit https://www.seattleu.edu/get-help.

Sincerely, 

Eduardo M. Peñalver, President 

Natasha Martin, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion 

Elizabeth Trayner, Ed.D., Assistant Vice President for Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator