2008 Woodie Awards
SARA's in action: Student task force plans to assist sexual assault victims
Emily Schettler and Sarah Keller/Staff Writers
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: News
After months of planning the Sexual Assault Recovery Advocates, a new organization on campus, will unveil a support program for students in the coming weeks.
SARA is a student-run organization aimed at promoting sexual assault awareness on campus. One of their first initiatives has been to create a support hotline for victims of sexual assault.
Ellie Olson, director of counseling services and a SARA adviser, said that support services such as these are important to have available to college students.
"It is an issue all over but especially on college campuses," Olson said. "It makes sense to provide support so that people don't have to go through this experience alone."
When the program begins in early March, students will be able to call for assistance 24 hours a day. SARA volunteers will carry pagers to alert them when someone has left a message.
"Whoever is on call can walk them through procedures and provide support and provide options for how one can deal with an assault." Olson said.
Olson also wants students to feel comfortable using the phone line for general sexual assault questions.
"We hope that people who just have questions about issues surrounding assault would feel comfortable calling the support line," Olson said.
According to Rachel Bandy, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice and a SARA adviser, sexual assault is an issue that is often overlooked.
"This is going to be a great opportunity for the Simpson campus to show that students, faculty and administration don't support sexual violence and that this isn't a topic that people should be afraid to talk about." Bandy said.
In addition to providing support services through the phone line, the group will also promote awareness around campus.
"One of our goals is to proactively educate the campus on issues of sexual violence and dating violence," Bandy said.
SARA members are planning to hold workshops and other activities for students. Sophomore Cat McLaren thinks it is an issue that all students need to be more knowledgeable about.
SARA is a student-run organization aimed at promoting sexual assault awareness on campus. One of their first initiatives has been to create a support hotline for victims of sexual assault.
Ellie Olson, director of counseling services and a SARA adviser, said that support services such as these are important to have available to college students.
"It is an issue all over but especially on college campuses," Olson said. "It makes sense to provide support so that people don't have to go through this experience alone."
When the program begins in early March, students will be able to call for assistance 24 hours a day. SARA volunteers will carry pagers to alert them when someone has left a message.
"Whoever is on call can walk them through procedures and provide support and provide options for how one can deal with an assault." Olson said.
Olson also wants students to feel comfortable using the phone line for general sexual assault questions.
"We hope that people who just have questions about issues surrounding assault would feel comfortable calling the support line," Olson said.
According to Rachel Bandy, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice and a SARA adviser, sexual assault is an issue that is often overlooked.
"This is going to be a great opportunity for the Simpson campus to show that students, faculty and administration don't support sexual violence and that this isn't a topic that people should be afraid to talk about." Bandy said.
In addition to providing support services through the phone line, the group will also promote awareness around campus.
"One of our goals is to proactively educate the campus on issues of sexual violence and dating violence," Bandy said.
SARA members are planning to hold workshops and other activities for students. Sophomore Cat McLaren thinks it is an issue that all students need to be more knowledgeable about.
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