Sexual assault groups endorse Red Hot

Five student organizations that work to stop sexual assault on campus endorsed the election of IU Student Association ticket Red Hot Sunday night. \nAbout 25 representatives from the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, the Friends of Middle Way, the Men's Coalition, Raising Awareness of Interactions in Sexual Encounters and the Women's Student Association voted unanimously to back IUSA presidential candidate and junior Lenny Weiss' Red Hot party. \nThe voters, mostly student leaders of the five groups, selected Red Hot after the party and opposing Hoosier ticket debated sexual assault awareness and prevention issues Sunday night in the Whittenberger Auditorium.\n"They had a lot more concrete ideas about helping to prevent sexual assault," said Friends of Middle Way co-president Hannah Gardi. "They also acknowledged that they did not know everything and were willing to work to learn more."\nDuring the debate, Weiss, Red Hot treasurer candidate and junior Scott Ottenheimer and junior Abby Cox outlined a plan to coordinate the efforts of the Bloomington Hospital, the Middle Way House, the IU Police Department and local taxi services to help women who have been sexually assaulted on campus -- something that Weiss said is already in the works at the hospital. As part of the plan, Weiss proposed establishing a hot line to help women report and receive medical attention for sexual assault. \nHoosier ticket presidential candidate and junior Betsy Henke and Vice President for Congress candidate and junior Clark Kaericher said IUSA should use its power with IU administrators to help groups like Friends of Middle Way and the Women's Student Association accomplish their goals. Henke said IU should do more to educate students on sexual assault awareness.\n"The University should not be behind on something like this, not when other universities are doing new things," she said. "And that's where we come in."\nThis is the first year these student groups have endorsed a ticket for the IUSA elections based on sexual assault issues. Gardi, who helped organize the debate, acknowledged that IUSA elections issues have traditionally centered around alcohol policy and transportation, but hoped backing a ticket would help increase sexual assault awareness across campus.\n"We wanted to get it on the radar screen," she said. "We're working to get it on the table, into the media and into the minds of students"