The event was a continuation of last year’s Monroe County Says “No More,” which aimed to educate students about sexual assault and domestic ?violence.
For four hours, representatives from student groups hosted a variety of interactive activities in the Georgian Room at the ?Indiana Memorial Union.
Activities included a donation assembly table where participants helped decorate tote bags to be filled with winter clothing and donated to the Middle Way House.
They also included a station where participants could design quilt squares with personal “No More” statements.
IU senior and POAP intern Stephanie Waller coordinated the event to create a greater community awareness surrounding the issue of domestic and ?sexual violence.
A social work major, Waller has been involved in consent education and sexual assault prevention education with Raising Awareness of Interactions in Social Encounters for two years.
“I don’t like educational events that don’t give you anywhere to go with that education, so that was the idea in bringing a student group to each table so that people can get involved in those student groups and volunteer,” Waller said.
Waller said the most rewarding aspect of the experience is being able to bring their message from the county clerk’s office into the community.
Waller said a crucial component of the event’s success lies in the collaborative nature of “No More.”
“It seems like this year there’s definitely a push for us all to come together,” Waller said. “We’re a lot stronger when we can all put our message out ?together.”
Mai Ngo, a member of the IU Hapkido Club and Self Defense Club, said sexual assault and domestic violence are issues that do not receive adequate ?attention.
“Not a lot of people hear about it and not a lot of people think about it, when in fact many people are victims,” Ngo said. “I wish that we didn’t have to feel the need to be prepared, but it’s a reality, so it’s nice to know how to protect yourself.”
Other groups present included the Feminist Student Association, RAISE, Culture of Care , OASIS and GLBT Support Services.
Waller said the best way for students to get involved is to contact any of these organizations or visit them on campus.
People can also like the Facebook page “Monroe County Says ‘No More’” to access details concerning future events.
“It is a hard subject to talk about because there is usually a stigma around sexual assault, and there is usually a stigma around domestic violence,” Waller said.
She contends, however, that this is not a sufficient excuse for not talking about important issues like domestic and sexual violence and bringing them to the forefront of conversation.
“There are people in your life who are experiencing these things, and they need to be talked about and they need to be advocated against,” Waller said.
“I’d rather be uncomfortable and talk about it than have one more person go through it,” she said. “It’s time. How many more years is this going to go on? It’s time for us to say no more.”
