Talking Stick - January/February 2015 - 58

 51  CONTINUED

RISInG VOICeS

"IF YOU WERE RANDOMlY SElECTED FOR AN
AUDIT FROM THE OFFICE FOR CIVIl RIgHTS,
WHAT WOUlD YOU SHARE FROM THE PAST
THREE YEARS REgARDINg PROgRAMS,
EDUCATION, AND TRAININg?"

confidential resources on campus or in
the community."
These procedures are beginning
to have tangible results on many
campuses. As one programming
example, at Ball State University in
Muncie, Indiana, some residence
directors are trained as instructors
for "Elemental: A Sexual Assault
Protection Program," a program
developed by faculty and students at
the university. The program utilizes
martial arts tradition that focuses
on feelings and circumstances.
Recognizing that typical self-defense
maneuvers may feel inappropriate
when confronting an aggressor who
is a partner or acquaintance, the
program teaches verbal tactics that
can be used to control a situation,
ultimately giving participants a choice
in how they respond to sexual assault
situations. Kayla Dalton, a residence
director being trained in facilitating
the program, hopes each newly trained
instructor will be able to offer two
or three sessions of the program in
the coming semester. "I am really
enjoying the program so far and have
found it to be very impactful and
engaging to participate in. I'm looking
forward to increasing the number
of participants." She adds that the
university also offers a course in Rape
Aggression Defense but feels that
program isn't as realistic to use as the
Elemental program.
At Longwood University in
Farmville, Virginia, Joshua Blakely,
director of residence life, provides
a session during new student
orientation that delivers information
58

TAlkiNg STick

about Title IX in a format he describes
as combining engagement, education,
and entertainment. The presentation
("What's Your Soundtrack?") includes
contemporary music and pop culture
references to reinforce definitions
associated with sexual misconduct and
sexual harassment. The program also
specifically targets topics of consent
and the hook-up culture. "I give the
presentation on a Saturday night, the
first Saturday night the students are
on campus. The timing and format
are tailored to address a culture of
students leaving orientation events and
going across the street to off-campus
houses to party. We're equipping them
to make the best possible choices in
those environments," Blakely explains.
His presentation incorporates
information about Title IX as well as
the university's sexual misconduct
policy, which he helped write. "I
change and modulate the language
of the policies. I need to be engaging
with this material rather than reading
policy to them to keep their attention."
Student staff are also developing
innovative and effective initiatives
that are quickly gaining acclaim from
their peers. At Butler University in
Indianapolis, Indiana, a studentinitiated program called The Stand
Tall Project, founded by student and
resident assistant Noelle Rich, started
as a program in a single residence hall
but has since come into high demand
throughout the campus. "Noelle came
to both me and our counseling center
liaison, who is a doctoral student, and
wanted to do something about raising
awareness of sexual assault

and sexual violence [and] to be there
as a supporter for survivors," explains
Sarah Boeckmann, a Butler residence
life coordinator and Rich's supervisor.
The Stand Tall Project gives
students an opportunity to write
messages of support for survivors
on white boards and have their
picture taken. The pictures are then
distributed via social media, including
on a Facebook page that has more
than 800 followers. According to
Boeckmann, almost every student who
walked through and was asked, "What
would you say to support a sexual
assault survivor?" has participated.
Counseling services and residence life
staff are present at the program as a
resource for students who may have
an emotional response triggered by
the event. "I didn't expect so many
students to be willing to participate
so freely," says Boeckmann. "Noelle is
now creating a student organization
to raise more awareness for survivors
of sexual assault and sexual violence."
The project has gained attention and
participation from fraternities and
sororities, other residence halls, and
now faculty and staff.
In addition, a number of campuses
have implemented online resources
to educate students. EverFi, the
company that launched AlcoholEdu,
has developed an online sexual
assault prevention educational
module called Haven. The program
addresses issues of sexual assault,
relationship violence, and stalking
and was developed to meet standards
set forth by the Campus SaVE Act
and to allow students to explore their
personal values in congruence with
laws and policies. Schools such as
Elon University in North Carolina
and Eastern Illinois University
in Charleston require students to
complete Haven before arriving
on campus, with some institutions
prohibiting students from moving
into residence halls or registering for
classes until the module is complete.
Talking Stick - January/February 2015

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