“Breathe. Take a deep breath and center yourself because it is hard to hear. It’s difficult to take in when someone you love has been hurt in such a horrible way,” Ferris social work senior and Title IX intern Chelsea Boynton said.
Sexual assault is an often unaddressed issue across the nation. To raise awareness, Ferris’ newest fraternity, the Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Incorporated, partnered with Title IX to organize the Sexual Assault Awareness event on Thursday, Feb. 1.
“We’ve been trying to see rising problems in the university environment and how we can help solve them. Being a new (chapter) and with the bad image that fraternities have gotten recently, we are trying to do as much as we can to be involved in the community,” Ferris junior and Betas Community Service chairman Gasper Nunez said.
The event was an interactive talk about sexual assault and how to respond to it. A panel of Title IX officers spoke on the topic, giving demonstrations that sparked discussion.
“Title IX is a federal law applying to all educational institutions that accept federal funding and it prohibits discrimination based on sex,” Ferris Title IX Coordinator and Associate Dean of Student Life Kevin Carmody said.
The Title IX event stressed that sexual assault is not a silhouetted figure attacking from the shadows– more often than not it is your classmate, co-worker or acquaintance.
On campus, offices are located in UC 129 and are available to students throughout the week. The Title IX office serves as a safe haven, offering peace and comfort in times of distress. Title IX employees are available to help at any time.
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