According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center:

• 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives.
• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.
• 91 percent of victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and 9 percent are male
• In 8 out of 10 cases of rape, the victim knew the perpetrator.

With research indicating such a high rate of sexual assault and violence in this country, raising awareness for the cause is more important than ever before. Event organizers stressed the importance of outreach and education.

Maggie Wetter, Ithaca College’s Title IX deputy coordinator, said events like the #IAsk kickoff are important for uniting the community around a common cause.

“The biggest piece [of the event] is awareness and prevention,” said Wetter. “One, shining light on the idea that the theme of ‘I Ask’ is important and asking for consent is important. Then, through that, creating some prevention efforts and bringing light to what other types of sexual violence really exist. And that’s all within this theme of asking for consent.”

The kickoff event hosted several presentations, art installations and survivor testimonies. Many read poems or shared stories about their experiences with sexual assault.

Clare Nowalk, a junior and Title IX intern, presented her independent research on sex trafficking in the United States. Nowalk said that Ithaca’s observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is important because it allows the community to talk about what it means to be a survivor, as well as an advocate.

“I hope people take away that sexual assault is not an issue that is only for survivors and only for people directly impacted, because we are all impacted by this issue because it inherently has to do with how we treat each other.”
– Clare Nowalk, Title XI intern

According to Wetter, Ithaca College is helping to ensure students feel safe on campus and are provided proper resources in cases of sexual assault and violence. “There’s a lot of resources available to all of our students on campus,” said Wetter. “We have a SHARE website that really lists all of them. But a lot of what we have here tonight and what we’ve tried to show case are our confidential resources.”

These include on and off campus resources where students can turn to, such as the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach and Services, faculty members, the Office of Judicial Affairs and Residential Life.

This month is filled with special workshops and presentations in honor of sexual assault awareness. Here’s a sampling of the events:

• Got Consent? Discussion on Affirmative Consent, April 15 from 5:00-6:00 pm
• Bringing in the Bystander, April 16 from 6:00-7:30 pm
• IC Girl Up: Panel for Sexual Assault Awareness, April 17 from 7:00-9:00 pm,
• Take Back the Night March and Rally!, April 26 at 6:00 pm
• Trans Men Video Screening: Impacts of Intimate Partner Violence, April 29 at 4:00 pm.