Local Orgs Observe Nat’l Sexual Assault Awareness Month Advocacy Center hosts protest event

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Considering reports of sexual assault and drugging incidents last semester, some students expressed the need to bring attention to the issue of sexual violence on Cornell’s campus.

“It is more important than ever to raise awareness for sexual assault because [of how] prevalent [it is] on campus,” said Caroline Kelman ’25.

The Advocacy Center of Tompkins County hosted an event called “Take Back the Night” on Friday, March 28, which included three marches and a rally at Ithaca Commons to protest sexual violence and domestic abuse.

“Take Back the Night” has been held annually in Ithaca and occurs in solidarity with other “Take Back the Night” events around the world.

At the rally, attendees has the opportunity to publicly share their experiences with sexual assault and how it has impacted their lives.

“You have the right to be safe,” read a poster from the Advocacy Center at the event, expressing the overall supportive environment that organizers attempted to create for the community.

Additionally, an array of Cornell organizations held events to advocate against sexual assault.

Sorority Alpha Chi Omega held “Denim Day” on Wednesday, April 26, where members wore denim in solidarity with victims whose stories were not believed. They also held a bake sale to raise money to donate to the Advocacy Center.

“Denim Day started with a court case in Italy in the early 90s,” Kelman said. “In this case, a girl came to the court stating that she was raped, but the court decid- ed that it was not rape because she was wearing tight jeans and so she would have had to help the rapist take off the jeans. They said that in that case, it would have been consensual.”

People in Italy began protesting this decision in the 90s by wearing jeans outside the Italian Supreme Court. These protests received national media attention, and jump-started the international tradition of wearing jeans on “Denim Day” to symbolize the protest against sexual assault and victim blaming.

There are also resources available at Cornell Health that work to prevent sexual violence and support those who have experienced it. The Sexual Harassment and Assault — Response and Education office offers information on Cornell’s support services, reporting options, education and advocacy.

“At Cornell Health, we have a dedicated office that works to develop evidence-based and theory-informed strategies to prevent sexual violence in our community,” wrote Laura Weiss, victim advocate and program director of the SHARE Office, in an email to The Sun.

Members of the Cornell Community may consult with the Victim Advocate by calling 607-255-1212, and with Cornell Health by calling 607-255-5155.

Employees may call the Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) at 607-255-2673. An Ithacabased Crisisline is available at 607-272-1616. The Tompkins County-based Advocacy Center is available at 607-277-5000. For additional resources, visit health. cornell.edu/services/victim-advocacy.