Arousing awareness

The incorporation of urinal screens in IU men's rooms is the most recent publicity campaign to combat sexual harassment. It is a silly but effective way to raise awareness of a common and tragic problem occurring not only at IU-Bloomington, but on campuses nationwide. The campaign is part of a growing national effort to shift blame for rape from the victim to the potential perpetrator. \nWhile it is unlikely that reading "You hold in your hands the power to stop sexual assault" -- as the screens positioned in IU urinals say -- will invoke a new, radical social consciousness in sexual offenders, the controversial cakes have already inspired some spirited dialogue on campus about who is to blame for rape and ways to prevent it beyond the bathroom door. \nStudents on campus are only beginning to notice the cakes -- or rumors of them, ladies -- which have recently been installed for the new school year. Those who haven't yet encountered the potent declaration are bound to. Since the screens have been installed in most urinals on campus, the discussion is bound to thrive. Debate on the display of the urinal pads will spark more awareness of campus rape and harassment, which might lead to more effective strategies to decrease instances of both at IUB.\nWhile the urinal pads are an acceptable and effective way to generate relevant dialogue about dangerous sexual encounters, their use is only justified as part of a larger effort to combat campus rape. Additional efforts to educate students about the role alcohol and drugs play in instances of rape, the importance of responsible sexual decisions and the services available to rape victims on campus are also necessary to transform potty talk into reality. \nRaising Awareness of Interactions in Sexual Encounters, the organization sponsoring the 600-cake campaign, also generates awareness through presentations and literature dealing with issues related to sexual assault on campus. Among these efforts are programs such as "He Said ... She Said," which gives students an opportunity to witness the simulated effects of a negative sexual encounter, and discuss issues of blame and criminal responsibility. These efforts are likely to prevent risky sexual encounters, and should form the crux of IU's campaign to stop assault and rape. \nThe amusing yet controversial urinal cake messages have not yet proven themselves effective deterrents for sexual harassment at IUB. But as Dean of Students Richard McKaig recently said, even if the cakes cause one mind to reconsider and prevent one sexual assault, they should be considered a success.\nUrinal cakes and anti-sexual harassment movements have been combined at other U.S. universities -- Cornell University and the University of Oregon, to name two -- inspiring a lively dialogue similar to the one recently begun at IU. We must concentrate the awareness generated by the urinal screens to efforts combating instances of sexual assault on campus -- that is, if the unorthodox campaign arouses more than ridicule from members of IU's student body.