CLACKAMAS
PRINT
Editorial
BY JEANETTE WRIGHT
NEWS EDITOR
One in five women experience
sexual assault. Fifty percent
o f tran sgend er in d ivid uals
experience sexual violence.One
in 33 m en experience rape or
attempted rape in their lifetime.
W ith statistics like these,
reported by the Bureau o f Justice
and the Rape, Abuse and Incest
National Network, recognizing
the importance of sexual assault
awareness is the key to building
safe, healthy communities.
C la c k a m a s ^ C o m m u n ity
C o lle g e , a lo n g w ith the CCC
Associated Student G overn m en t
and the Title IX team have taken
it upon themselves to organize
awareness events throughout
the month of April.
Sexual A ssault Aw areness
M onth (SAAM) is a nationally
reco gn ized tim e to raise
awareness o f the issues every
com m unity faces because o f
sexual violence. r
Even with high statistics such
as these, the actual numbers are
even higher - underreporting
assault is com m on am ong
both men and women, hut it is
especially prevalent in men.
“ I t ’ s im p o r t a n t . I t ’ s
happening in our community.
I t ’ s h a p p e n in g to people
you know. I t ’s happening to
your sisters, your frien d s,
your
m o m s ,” said C C C
Administrative Assistant Emilie
Azorr. “ It happens to everyone,
and no one is immune to this
issue.”
Encouraging victims to come
forward and report, or even seek
help and support is another
m ain point o f SAAM . “ Being
silent is being com pliant, and
we really have to take a role in
ending this for it to actually
end, and show ing up is the
first Step,” CCC Sexual Assault
Advocate Mary Vest said. “ I
think [the Me Too Movement]
is empowering people to report
or at least say som ething to
someone, and I think that that
is half the battle.”
This year’s theme for SAAM
is consent, which is a root issue
for many instances of assault.
Typically, sex is thought of
ip term so f reaching-“ basesA” ,
in stead , try u sin g a p iz z a "
m etaphor, Vest said. Instead
o f th in k in g about “ o ffen se”
and “ d e fe n se ,” th in k about
sex as pizzla toppin gs, w ith
everyone preferring different
combinations^ this introduces
a different perspective, rather
than the typical one where
women are the “ gatekeepers”
and m en the “ pursuers,” Vest
said.
“ I ’ m ho p in g w ith Sexual
Assault Awareness Month, we ’re
starting that conversation to
change those ideas about gender
roles,” Azorr said.
Sex should be an ongoing
dialogue, with consideration of
people’ s different wants and
needs. “ It’ s not ‘one team loses
and the other wins. ’ ” Vest said.
On April 2, CCC made blue
flags available for students
to p lace around cam p u s,,
representing them selves, or
people they know that have
been affected by sexual assault.
Azorr Said she counts the
event a success. “ We had
students coming up and saying,
‘oh my gosh, this ft great, I’m
so passionate about this issue,
here’s my information, let me
know if you need help.’ ” Azorr
said.
’ “ That’ s.the goal,” Vest said,
“ to find those ways of how we
can create connections. ”
“The flag event [was] meant to
be a visual event, toshow sexual
assaults are prevalent, period.”
CCC Title IX Coordinator John
Ginsburg said.
- W hile the flags were blue,
to represent SA A M ’ s official
teal color, the*team hopes to
have more colors next year,
to represent other genders.;
o rientations, even types o f
sexual assault experiences.
ASG President Jairo Rodriguez
th in k s th at the fla g event
w as good, altho ugh better
representation is something to
strive for. “ I just think that'there
could be better ways of showing
it, or presenting it, as opposed to
just sticking it in the ground,”
Rodriguez said. “ I just think
that there is more we could do
to better give information about
sexual assault.”
M aking sure to include as
many people as possible in the
events was im portant to .the
team.
A table was hosted at the CCC
Resource Fair, w ith the team
h an ding out w ater b o ttles,
t-shirts, stickers, pins and other
promotional items, to help get
students excited for,the events.
ON THE COVER: On the cover is sexual assault awareness ribbon by William Farris
Feedback fro m stud ents
is essen tial to successfu lly
planning for the next SAAM.
“ Part o f the beauty o f the
m o n th is realiy c allin g on
everyone to think about what
are the things you can d o ,”
Vest said. “ [That might] look
lik e su p p o rtin g survivors
in your com m unity, having
conversations, [being] a part of
the movement, even in small
ways.”
“ I think that the biggest thing
'is-- th a t 'we Want to get more
student involvem ent,” Azorr
said.
More events for SAAM include
the Clothesline Project, running
April 3.6-20, where survivors can
decorate t-shirts to be displayed
on April 23. Students can pick
up t-shirts at the ASG office or
Vest’s office, and illustrate their
story through words or pictures,
however they Want.
Trauma-informed yoga and
massages will be led on campus
on the 24, with email sign-ups
through Vest.
On April 25, all students are
encouraged to w ear denim
for Denim Day, and CCC will
be hosting a showing of the
film “ The H unting G round,”
along w ith a panel o f college
and com m unity members to
talk about th e com m unity’ s
response to sexual assault.
April 26 will be the closing
even t, w ith C CC h o stin g a
resource fair with free food and
interactive discussions about
consent.
E d ito r-in -C h ie f
Autum n Berend
chiefed@ clackam as.edu
M anaging Editor
- Ian Van Orden
chiefed@ clackam as.edu
Copy Editor
Victoria Durling
copyed@clackam as.edu
News Editor
Jeanette W right
new sed@ dackam as.edu
A rts & Culture Editor
Jared Preble
* aced@clackam as.edu
Sports Editor
JacobJibom pson
sportsed@clackam as.edu
Photo Editor
Jonathan V illagom ez
photoed@clackam as.edu
M ultim edia Ed ito r
Summ er Barraza
webeditor@clackam as.edu
Ad & Design Editor
W illiam Farris
adm gr@ clackam as.edu
Reporters
Grey-son Mbock
Mason Crawley
Robert Sanders
Adviser
Crystal Kang
crystal.kang@clackamas.edu
The Clackamas Print alms to report the
news In an honest, unbiased and pro
fessional manner. Content published ir
The Print is not screened or subject fc
censorship.
The Clackamas Print isfreC but please
take only one copy. Any person remov
ing our papers io bulk will be prosecuted
to the fullextent of the law.
A p r il 18, 2018