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.