The Ask Me Why I Wear Teal campaign asks that both students and faculty members wear teal stickers to spread awareness about sexual assault. Participants can pick up these stickers at the Women’s Resource Center or the department of race and gender studies in Manly Hall Room 104 today through Friday.
“This campaign is important on a college campus, because college students are busy and this gives them a way to participate without having to make a commitment to attending something or being somewhere on time,” Maria-Victoria Perez-Fisher, peer education programs coordinator at the WRC, said.
Paige Miller, coordinator of Campus Violence Programs, said she thinks the campaign is a great idea.
“Teal is the color for sexual assault,” she said. “What I notice about the sticker campaign is that it brings up conversation about sexual assault.”
Amnee Robertson, a student working with Perez-Fisher on the campaign, said Take Back the Night is another event that gets more feedback.
“Last year [for Take Back the Night], we all gave balloons earlier that day. Then that evening, we let the balloons go to honor sexual-assault victims who have passed,” she said.
Robertson also mentioned We Speak Up, another event designed to raise awareness about sexual assault.
“As students walk by, we get their attention, we take a picture of them and have them write down why they speak up against violence,” she said.
Perez-Fisher said they are expecting that a large number of people will participate, since they already ordered one thousand stickers for this year’s campaign.
Miller said sexual assault is an important issue, especially for college students.
“One in five college women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, according to national statistics,” Miller said. “We need to be more aware to end sexual assault.
“Many times the victims I have spoken to are afraid they will not be believed if put through a criminal process,” she said.
Robertson said the campaign will help make leaders of tomorrow more aware of the dangers of sexual assault.
“The views about sexual assault haven’t changed, and there needs to be a time for change,” she said.
Perez-Fisher said the stickers are designed to get people talking and start up a conversation or debate.
“Never let the hand you hold hold you down,” she said of the campaign’s focus.
