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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2002)
New SWAT team uses strategic words as tactics ■ Presentations by the Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team are intended to fight sexual violence with communication By Robin Weber Oregon Daily Emerald Let’s talk about sex — consensual sex, that is. As a song about that well-known three-letter word played in the background, interns from the Uni versity’s Sexual Wellness Advoca cy Team informed an audience of more than 20 people in the EMU Ben Linder Room on Wednesday night that the best defense against sexual assault isn’t violence. It’s not even abstinence. It’s words. The group reached out to the crowd with activities, an open fo rum on sexual stereotypes and a recorded account of a sexual as sault victim’s story, all aimed at opening up lines of communica tion about when sex is OK — and when it isn’t. The session is part of Sexual As sault Awareness Week activities and focuses on ways of ending sex ual assault. This was the first SWAT presentation to the University, though they are hoping to make presentations to residence halls and the Greek community. The team came to the University in the fall as the brainchild of the Office of Student Life and the ASUO Women's Center. Intern advisor Jennifer Smith took on the project in January after working at a domestic violence shelter as an advocate for women. She and her team of six interns — five women and one man — want ed to boost safety on campus. "We needed intern education on campus with a message of healthy sexual communication," she said. Posters with definitions of sexual assault, rape, consent and other sex-related terms were displayed across the room during the session. The walls were also decked with continuums of misconceptions about sex and people “asking for it.” The audience was then asked to mark on the charts where they thought media, school, parents and friends stood on these issues. “I think it was good they fo cused on consent and power struggles,” audience member Claty Ansell said. Crew members representing different years in school and both genders helped reach a broader audience. The group debunked assump tions that a woman is saying “yes” University Day projects aim to beautify campus ■ Organizers hope to draw several hundred volunteers to the daylong event By Kathryn Petersen and Katie Mayer Oregon Daily Emerald Grab some grubby clothes, put on some gloves and get ready to do some spring cleaning. From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. , faculty, staff, students and community members can gather to beautify campus for the 13th annual Uni versity Day. “There are quite a few activities scheduled,” University Day spokeswoman Jenise Williams said. “Anyone that wishes to help clean up the grounds is more than welcome.” One activity will be a tree plant ing at 10 a.m. to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Universi ty. Several people will be speaking at the planting ceremony, includ ing University President Dave Frohnmayer, Williams said. University Day was started in 1990. It was revived from an ear lier tradition, much like today’s, which dates back to 1903. Stu dents, faculty and staff come to gether to work on projects that in clude planting flowers, spreading bark mulch, picking up litter and painting. Chris Loschiavo from the Office of Student Life said University Day is a collaborative effort among the University Day Committee, the Of fice of Student Life and Facilities Services. Student planners worked hard to promote participation, sending out letters with requests for donations to student groups and University departments, as well as announcing the event in their class es, he said. Facilities services em ployees play an important role in helping with activities throughout the day, Loschiavo said. While the number of volun teers varies from year to year, Loschiavo said planners expect the nice weather to draw several hundred participants. “University Day is all about helping out and pitching in,” Williams said. “It’s a good way to show pride in our school.” Programming assistants from University Housing are encourag ing students living in the residence halls to pitch in by holding a com petition. All residents retrieve their mail at one of the three com plex area desks, and the program ming assistants will donate a new VCR or DVD player to the area desk with the highest percentage of University Day participants from the halls it serves, said Mindi Rice, a competition organizer. Res idents will be able to check out this equipment from the desk. “University Day is all about helping out and pitching in. It’s a good way to show pride in our school.” Jenise Williams University Day spokeswoman For those who would like to par ticipate without getting their hands dirty, a financial contribution can be made by purchasing a brick or a bench. The bricks are $100 and will be placed outside Oregon Hall. Once a brick is purchased, two or three lines of text may be placed on the brick to commemorate a name, a student group or anything of the owner’s choosing. Those with deeper pockets can purchase a bench, which cost about $1,200 Loschiavo said the benches will be placed near the tree between the EMU and Carson Hall. Forms for purchasing a brick or a bench are available in the Office of Stu dent Life. Students who want to participate in University Day activi ties can register from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in front of the Pioneer statue between Fenton and Friendly halls. Participants who work for an hour will receive a free T-shirt. Kathryn Petersen is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. Katie Mayer is the freelance editor for the Emerald. She can be reached at katiemayer@dailyemerald.com. by her words, deeds or appearance. “Just because they haven’t said ‘no’ doesn’t mean they’ve said ‘yes,’” SWAT intern Michelle Flanigan said. They also offered insight on how to have healthier sexual communi cations, legal resources for sexual assault survivors, how to report the incident to the police, how to sup port survivors and where to get medical care after an assault. “I want to do whatever I can to help bring a male perspective and to show how men can get involved r in ending sexual assault,” senior in tern John Fillmore said. Although the team recognizes sexual assault occurs in both het erosexual and homosexual rela tionships, the talk focused on het erosexual situations where the woman is the victim, since statis tics have shown that 90 percent of sexual assault survivors are fe male. Fillmore said that the point of the session was not “male-bashing,” but to find ways to improve healthy communication with both partners in a relationship. He said he took up the cause af ter having other positive leadership experiences and after learning about sexual assaults on campus, many of which go unreported. In closing, the team — armed only with words — left the crowd with phrases reminding them of boundaries. “No means no,” Fillmore said, “even if you’re naked.” E-mail reporter Robin Weber at robinweber@dailyemerald.com. Want to garden Meets: Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9 am until noon. Location: The Urban Farm, on campus To register: LA 390 CRN: 40871,4 cr. Urban farm teaches principles and strategies for cooperative urban food production and includes hands-on growing, rebuilding urban soils, farm animal-plant relationships, nutrient cycles and more. 1 Inquiries: Department of Landscape 5 Architecture. 541-346-3634 look into the OPE Classifieds 346-4343 ®0 687-2805 Financial Consultant / 3 openings, income range $30, 000 to $50,000 / Flexible hours / 6 figure income obtainable within a few years / Must be a college graduate / Marketing/Business/ Finance background helpful / Willing to work out of Beaverton office On Campus May 21st & 30th Contact UO Career Center for interview times. 346-3235 Portland Financial Group 1800 NW 169th Place, Suite A300 Beaverton, OR 97006 (503) 690-1970 • (877) 692-1970 - Fax: (503) 213-5974 Attn: Peter F. McKinnon pmckinnon@pfg-l.com YouVe hit the book/. Aoui hit the rood. • Live BMX demonstrations at certain campuses • High Tech Video Games • Drive the Extreme Road Course • Rock Climbing Wall Challenge • NHL Slapshot • Visit the Upton Iced Tea and Reebok Booths Test drive select Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler vehicles* and enter for a chance to win a two-year lease and other great prizes from infinity Sound Systems, The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival and Tower Records** Education lauin may 20th -21/1 10am - 4 pm Visit the BACCUS/University tent to learn more about campus issues like drinking and driving, road safety, and health & fitness. fpen/ored by Univer/ity off Oregon Creek liffe Office • To drive, you must be 18 years of age or older with a valid driver's license. Driver s license must be presented at check-in. •* approximate retail value: $15,000. Courtesy of Chrysler Financial Company LLC. Jeep Is a registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Inc.
