Building Connected Communities is the theme for April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a time when the Clemson community comes together to generate awareness through programs, events and resources.
This year, SAAM events have been planned by Clemson’s new Interpersonal Violence Resource Alliance (IVRA), a group of trauma-informed resources from offices across campus who provide interpersonal violence-related services. The alliance aims to educate, advise and provide inclusive advocacy by offering training opportunities and streamlined resource information for Clemson students and employees. With membership from the Office of Access Compliance and Education (Interpersonal Violence Prevention), Dean of Students Office (Interpersonal Violence Response), Clemson University Police Department, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Healthy Campus and Athletics, IVRA has planned events to engage the campus community all month long.
Interpersonal violence prevention coordinator, Megan Fallon, has helped lead SAAM efforts for the last nine years. “What began as a small group of students working with me to coordinate a full month of SAAM events has evolved into a more expansive effort,” says Fallon. “The Interpersonal Violence Resource Alliance, in partnership with our integral confidential local resources and student organizations, is the cross-campus and community collective that is responsible for the events in the SAAM calendar. Additionally, training and outreach can now be requested through the IVRA TigerQuest page for a wide range of topics and resources connected to interpersonal violence. Clemson truly is a place where we value our whole community to ensure we prevent interpersonal violence and support folks who experience it.”
Bat’sé Smart, one of Clemson’s interpersonal violence response coordinators, shares the importance of SAAM. “In addition to raising awareness, SAAM is also a time to talk about the role we all play as a community in prevention and supporting survivors. Interpersonal violence is a community problem, but individual people make up a community, so we need to care for one another,” says Smart. “SAAM allows us to continue to have spaces where we’re empowering people with the tools to be part of the solution and create a community that allows us to better care for each other.”
SAAM events kick off Friday, April 5 with YesFest!, a “consent carnival” event in the Carillon Gardens dedicated to learning about healthy relationships and sexual assault prevention through engaging activities and resources on interpersonal violence.
A book club and vigil are some of the other SAAM events happening this month.
The first in a new healing book club series, participants will read Know My Name by Chanel Miller. Interpersonal Violence Response, in partnership with Pickens County Advocacy Center and Graduate Student Government, will facilitate conversations about Chanel Miller’s powerful story and journey as a sexual assault survivor. The book club will meet three times this month, on April 10, 17 and 24, from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Learning Commons on the third floor of Cooper Library and is open to students, faculty and staff. There are 20 free copies of the book available to students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Use their online form to sign up and learn more.
Interpersonal Violence Prevention, in collaboration with student organization It’s On Us, will host a survivor vigil on April 11 at 7 p.m. on the South Campus Green in front of the Watt Center. The vigil will include speeches and creative performances in honor of victims and survivors of sexual violence.
The entire campus community is encouraged to wear denim on April 24 for Denim Day. Wear denim on this day to show support for survivors and raise awareness that there is no excuse for sexual assault.
All April SAAM events are listed in the flyer below. Check out the Sexual Assault Library Resource Guide for more information about each event.
For questions or more information, please reach out to the interpersonal violence prevention graduate assistant, True Liles: trueall@clemson.edu
