CARE spreads message of safety, prevention

Kristy Mangos Arizona Daily Wildcat T-shirts made by rape victims and their friends hang on a clothesline at the sexual assault awareness tent on the UA Mall this week. The T-shirts expressed feelings and experiences as well as educating the public about rape.

Sexual assault victims and their friends from the University of Arizona designed T-shirts representing their experiences. One T-shirt reads: "Three hearts for three women who were abused and raped. One got pregnant and had a son - she is my fiancÚe."

Sexual Assault Awareness week, which started Tuesday and continues through today, is a time for Campus Acquaintance Rape Educators to spread their message about safety and prevention methods.

"Not many people know and believe the statistics. The clothesline project is a visual representation of what happens to innocent bystanders," said Morgan Long, political science junior and ASUA senator.

Long is attending CARE classes this semester in order to become a CARE educator.

This week CARE representatives are speaking to students in residence halls about sexual assault and relationship violence. Tuesday, the CARE group had a role play and discussion in Yuma Residence Hall, and yesterday the group spoke to Yavapai residents, said Janet Rico, a political science and communications junior who is attending CARE classes.

"Last year I came to know that a lot of my friends were sexually assaulted, so the issue has become my passion. It's an important issue on campus," Rico said.

CARE representatives are distributing literature with facts about acquaintance rape and sexual assault and asking students to fill out surveys about the resources on campus. Students passing the CARE information tent Tuesday and yesterday said the group's message was an important one.

"I think it's really great information. This tent is a good resource," said Angela Taylor, a psychology junior.

Cisco Aguilar, an ASUA senator and accounting and finance junior agreed with Taylor.

"I'm trying to support CARE as an ASUA senator because they represent an aspect of college life. I don't know anyone has been sexually assaulted, but I'm sure sexual assault is a difficult process for people to go through," he said.

The Quality of Student Life Committee, a group that encompasses the Oasis Center for Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence, the health promotion and preventive services, Residence Life, Counseling and Psychological Services and University of Arizona Police Department representatives, is also asking students to assess the facilities on campus in an open forum.

Oasis Coordinator Irene Anderson said the forum attracted less attention than she had hoped.

"It's a great opportunity for students to talk to people who are concerned with the safety of students on this campus," Anderson said.

Matt Saunders, associate director of Oasis, said the open forum is essential for students' awareness.

"Mostly what we're trying to do is get the word out and break the barrier that prevents people from coming in and reporting their assault to us," he said.