April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a time when the Clemson community unites to raise awareness of interpersonal violence, promote campus and community resources and reinforce its commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and healthy environment for all. Throughout the month, efforts focus on educating students about the importance of bystander intervention, healthy relationships and shared responsibility, while emphasizing the strength in seeking support and showing up for others. These initiatives also highlight that there are many people across the Clemson community who care, are ready to help and play a role in creating a safer campus.
Sexual violence is widespread and affects many members of the community. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college, and over 40% of students experienced at least one sexually harassing behavior in college. These realities underscore the importance of SAAM and the Clemson community’s ongoing commitment to prevention and support.
At Clemson, SAAM is a collaborative effort among campus and community partners, promoting resources and providing education and outreach through events and initiatives designed to engage the campus community.
Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coordinator for Healthy Campus, Megan Fallon, has helped lead SAAM efforts for the past 11 years, including Yes Fest, a creative, interactive resource festival promoting healthy relationships and bystander intervention. Now in its fourth year, the festival will take place on Thursday, April 2 from noon to 3 p.m. in the Carillon Garden, with a backup rain location in the Hendrix Student Center Meeting Rooms A and B.
“I am so proud to once again coordinate the fourth annual Yes Fest as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” said Fallon. “Yes Fest brings together campus and community resources in a fun, crafty environment. This year’s theme is “Rooted in Respect and Grounded in Growth,” and each booth connects students directly to a resource while also engaging them in conversations about values, healthy relationships, self-care and bystander intervention.”
The event is supported by a grant from the South Carolina Institute on the Prevention of Sexual Violence on College Campuses. This year’s theme invites students to “root” themselves in support and “bloom” in their relationships, nurturing personal growth and a stronger sense of community. Campus and community partners — including Healthy Campus, Counseling and Psychological Services, Interpersonal Violence Response, Office of Advocacy and Success, Clemson University Police Department, Fraternity and Sorority Life Wellness Ambassadors, Cooper Library Learning Commons, the It’s On Us student organization, and local crisis centers Pickens County Advocacy Center and Safe Harbor — will offer resources and lead a variety of interactive activities designed to help students foster healthy relationships, practice bystander intervention and prioritize personal and community well-being.
Activities include creating mason jar lanterns to “Light the Way” for a friend in crisis by practicing active listening and connecting others to resources; designing sun catchers that represent the “5 D’s” of bystander intervention; and building LEGO mandalas with a strategically placed bystander figurine to reflect personal values and a commitment to standing up for those values when they see harm occur. Students can also create solar prints to explore how to communicate needs in relationships and participate in a Reflective Roots tree map activity, encouraging connection to nature while reflecting on personal growth, resilience and the foundations that support healthy relationships.
Additional Yes Fest experiences — such as a friendship photo booth, flower pressing for mindful decompression and interactive lessons on relationship “red flags” and “green flags” — further encourage students to reflect on healthy connection, communication and the role relationships play in overall well-being.
Campus and community partners will offer additional events throughout the month focused on interpersonal violence awareness and prevention.
The Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) and Phi Kappa Psi will present the Understanding the Process panel on Wednesday, April 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Hendrix Student Center, Room 204B. Speakers include Twana Wright, CUPD communications/records manager; Officer Joseph Driscoll, CUPD officer response/crime scene; Ellen Kennedy, sexual assault nurse examiner with Prisma Health; and Monique Harmon, deputy Title IX coordinator in the Division of Civil and Individual Rights.
Clemson University’s Alpha Chi Omega will hold its second annual Dancing in Her Shoes philanthropy event on April 8 from 7-9 p.m. in the Amphitheater, supporting Safe Harbor, a local domestic violence shelter.
Pickens County Advocacy Center (PCAC), a local rape crisis center, is partnering with The Parenting Place for the Walk for Prevention on Thursday, April 2 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Legacy Square in Pickens. The event aims to raise awareness and prevent child abuse and sexual violence in Pickens County. PCAC will also host Songs for Survivors on April 28 from 6-9 p.m. at Hagood Mill.
National Denim Day will take place on April 29, when the campus community is encouraged to wear denim to show support for survivors and raise awareness that there is no excuse for sexual assault.
Information on interpersonal violence prevention, campus and local resources, and what to do if someone experiences sexual assault can be found on Healthy Campus’ Interpersonal Violence website. University departments such as Healthy Campus and other interpersonal violence resource partners will also share updates about SAAM events throughout the month on Instagram.
For questions or more information, please reach out to Megan Fallon: mrfallo@clemson.edu.
