Volume CXXXI, Number 21 April 12, 2002 f

Safe Space sponsors awareness week
NICOLE DURAND
STAFF WRITER

A student studies in the shadow of the sexual assault awareness quilt in Smith Union. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient)

Anyone who visited Smith Union this week surely noticed "The Quilt," which hung from the walls of Morrell Lounge. The quilt, composed of individual squares made by Bowdoin students, addresses feelings about sexual assault and its prevalence on the Bowdoin campus; it is dedicated to the survivors of sexual assault and serves as a visual reminder of Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Each year, Safe Space adds to the project and will acquire many new squares over its extensive time spent in the Union over this week.

Katherine Roboff, a member of Safe Space, which organized the events of Sexual Assault Awareness Week, said that the goal of this week is to "raise awareness about various issues involved with sexual assault, and to alert the student body to the fact that sexual assault does happen on our campus."
"This is the most educational part of our year," she said. "Most of our training is in listening and supporting survivors."

Along with the continuing creation and display of the quilt, Safe Space invited Jackson Katz, a male anti-sexism activist, to speak. He delivered a lecture on Monday evening entitled, "More Than A Few Good Men: A lecture on American Manhood and Violence Against Women."

In addition, the campus group organized a dinner with Safe Space members, sports captains, and Jackson Katz, and also held a candlelight vigil on the Walker Art Museum steps in hopes of creating a place for members of the Bowdoin community to speak out about sexual assault.

"Sexual assault is a preventable reality on our campus," said Dean of Student Affairs Craig Bradley in a letter to students. "By educating ourselves and speaking out against sexual violence, we can work toward the ideal of eliminating it from our community."

Barbara Condliffe, who co-directed the Vagina Monologues earlier in the semester, agreed that education is the best way to end sexual assault. "People on campus seem really interested in how they can educate themselves and their peers about these issues," she said.

As always, the members of Safe Space welcome anyone to sign up for the group; training is provided by Sexual Assault Services of Midcoast Maine every semester.