By Darla Martin Tucker

In a move to foster cognizance and prevention of violence, various groups at La Sierra University sponsored activities this month in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center in Enola, Fla. promotes the nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual violence and promote prevention activities.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month events at La Sierra University occurred between April 8 and April 11, and on April 23. Activities ranged from a workshop on ways to fend off would-be assailants to displays of t-shirts emblazoned with anti-violence messages.

On April 10, organizers encouraged the campus community to symbolically show its support of the campaign’s non-violence message by wearing denim and teal ribbons. Teal is the campaign’s official color, as pink and red are emblems of the breast cancer and female cardiovascular disease prevention campaigns.
On April 11, students gave a dramatic reading at the La Sierra University Church titled “Tamar’s Daughters.” The reading depicted the story of King David’s daughter, Tamar, who was raped by her half brother, Amnon. Heide Ford, director of the university’s Women’s Resource Center, gave a sermon titled “Sex, Power, and Forgiveness.” The evening concluded with a poignant question-and-answer session for students.

On April 23, Shawn Johnson, desert area shelter director for Operation SafeHouse gave a presentation for the mid-week Rendezvous worship on the high school program he facilitates called “My Strength is not for Hurting.” His talk emphasized how important it is for young men to speak up if their male friends denigrate females or plan to use or assault them. Johnson’s program is through the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center.
“Christian communities tend to be hush-hush about sexual assault and abuse, but the stats for conservative groups mirror the society, or are even worse. So many women and men have been molested growing up, we must talk about it openly so healing can begin, otherwise students can be affected for a lifetime with low self-regard, poor relationship choices, and a skewed picture of God,” said Heide Ford, director of La Sierra’s Women’s Resource Center.

The center along with the university’s Counseling Center, Social Work Club, Department of Art, Spiritual Life, Student Association of La Sierra University, Office of Student Life, Library and Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center sponsored the events.
“The Division of Student Life fully supported the activities of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We feel the message related during the on-campus activities is extremely important for our students,” said Sue Curtis, associate vice president for Student Life. “Education is one of the keys to preventing sexual assault. As the dean of students, it is very sad to witness the type of pain caused by sexual assault.”

Carla Friday, a 19-year-old freshman business management and accounting major, experienced the horror of violent assault twice in the past two years while in her home state of Maryland. Friday was raped twice. Both attackers were male friends whom she had known a long time, she said.

Friday deals with the trauma by talking to friends, praying, working to raise awareness of such issues and ultimately realizing she can’t deal with the situation by herself, she said. She advises victims to talk to a counselor or friend and join support groups. “Keeping the emotion in is the hardest thing, and it can destroy who you actually are,” she said.
Friday related her experiences to an Angwin Hall worship audience on April 15. She tells her story hoping to inspire others in crisis to seek help. “I’m not uncomfortable with any question. I don’t feel offended,” Friday said.
One in three women and one in six men will experience some type of sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the resource center in Florida. Researchers estimate approximately two-thirds of victims never report the crime, the center said.
The La Sierra University Department of Security reported no incidences of forcible rape over the past five years and no sexual battery in the past two years. The department’s campus crime statistics from the 2002-03 school year through Dec. 31, 2007 are posted online. It also offers advice on its Web page for preventing and dealing with assault and other offenses. The department’s services include evening escorts for students who wish to be accompanied when walking on campus.

Melanie Contreras, a nursing major, and Yohani Ramos, a public health student, on April 11 checked out the anti-violence t-shirts hanging from a platform railing across from the Dining Commons.

Contreras believes the various campus activities addressing violence and safety issues are important. “Girls and guys walk around in the middle of the night,” she said. Ramos agreed. “We think it’s not going to happen to us.”

PR Contact: Larry Becker
Executive Director of University Relations
La Sierra University
Riverside, California
951.785.2460 (voice)