RAISE campaigning in April

The month of April brings warmer weather, blooming flowers and thoughts of the school year coming to an end. While these are enough to bring a smile to anyone's face, April also brings a month-long dedication to awareness of a serious issue. The month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month.\nAs an effort to raise awareness of sexual assault against women, the student volunteer group RAISE (Raising Awareness about Interactions in Sexual Encounters) is sponsoring "Thursday's in Black." This is the first year Thursday's in Black will be at IU, and participants are asked to wear black on Thursdays, along with a button showing their support. \n"We saw this as a very important, simple, visible campaign for any student to participate in," said Nigel Pizzini, the men's group coordinator for RAISE. "We can all show our concern and our care for women's safety."\nThursday's in Black originated in Argentina in the 1970s, Pizzini said. Many Argentinean women were being murdered or sexually assaulted. Women began to wear black as a sign of mourning and solidarity, which was a way for the local community to band together and make statements as a community. \nPizzini said Bosnia, Israel, Sudan, New Zealand and countries throughout Europe have picked up the Thursday's in Black campaign. More recently, communities and campuses in the United States have begun to support this movement for sexual assault awareness. At IU, the campaign is supported by the kinesiology department, Union Board, the Indiana Memorial Union and University Division, among others, said Nallely Galvan, RAISE coordinator.\nBoth Pizzini and Galvan emphasized the fact rape isn't perpetrated by someone who just "jumps out of the bushes." Most often, sexual assaults occur with either a boyfriend or an acquaintance, Pizzini said. \n"A lot of it is not physically violent. It's engaging in sexual activity against their will," he said. "Women are by far victims, men are by far the perpetrators."\nPizzini mentioned the fact IU, in contrast to other Indiana colleges, has no male groups dedicated to sexual assault education. As part of the initiative to involve more men with sexual assault programs, Pizzini said RAISE is attempting to recruit male volunteers to train for its programs and workshops. He said men are sought after because the bulk of sexual assaults are committed by men.\n"We want to facilitate the emergence of a male-driven, student, grassroots group that can really take a lead on educating the community and educating students about assault," he said. "We want interested (male) students to come forward and say, 'I care about women and this issue, and I'm ready to put time into making this campus safe.'"\nPizzini wishes to recruit men "to support women who are sexually assaulted, rather than blame them."\nAs part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, RAISE is sponsoring "Don't Speak my Mother's Name in Vain," an event by Reanae McNeal, an award-winning playwright, artist, vocalist and motivational speaker. The event will feature the stories of eight African-American women and their experiences with interpersonal violence. It will be held at 7 p.m. April 6 at the Willkie Auditorium.\nGalvan said McNeal was highly-recommended by other universities and has the ability to make a sensitive topic, such as rape, educational and informative by combining music, dance and storytelling.\n"She's well-known for her programs and has the ability to make them interesting," she said. "We felt a play would be a more effective and less threatening way of reaching students to inform them about sexual assault, as well to let people know about RAISE." \nPizzini expressed his excitement for McNeal's performance.\n"That's going to be awesome," Pizzini said of her show. \nIn addition to McNeal's performance, RAISE is also sponsoring a homeless walk Sunday, April 18 and a women's art show in the Indiana Memorial Union. Informational booths and volunteers will be at the Main Library next Wednesday afternoon, and a call-out meeting for anyone interested in volunteering for RAISE will be held April 29 to coincide with the end of Thursday's in Black. Pizzini urged men to attend the meeting and encouraged women to ask their male friends to attend.\n"Get all the men you know to go," he said. \n-- Contact staff writer Laura Kruty at lkruty@indiana.edu.