News Reporter
CMU’s brand new Sexual Assault Prevention club (SAP) held its first business meeting last Tuesday.
The club, which became official through the university, currently has 11 members.
Dr. Nikki Jones, a psychology professor and the club’s advisor, started the meeting by introducing the club.
“This club is about changing the attitudes about sexual assault on campus and about bringing awareness to it as a community,” Jones said. “There are a lot of negative attitudes about sexual assault and still blaming the victim in our culture that we would like to change on our campus.”
Erin Holl, the club’s president and a psychology counseling major, came up with the idea for the club last fall when she took the Human Sexuality course on campus.
Holl, who is also a president of the Psychology Club, presented the club’s constitution and further explained the club’s mission.
“The goal is to spread awareness about current attitudes, provide support and promote sexual health as well,” Holl said. “We are open to people with different ideas as long as they fit in with our mission statement.”
Holl defined sexual assault as “any way in which one person imposes or intrudes on another person’s comfort zone with their sexuality.”
After Holl went over the club’s constitution, she held elections for additional officers. Four other students became vice president, secretary, treasurer, PR/advertising, and CAB representative.
“I am really excited about [the club] taking off and people wanting to join,” Hannah Westbrock, the club’s newly-elected vice president and a psychology-counseling major, said.
While the members of the club are still brainstorming ideas, they are already planning a three-day event starting March 18. In addition, they are planning a self-defense meeting the week before spring break for Psychology club in connection with the new club. They also plan to collaborate with other clubs and organizations, such as the Sexual Assault Prevention Team (SART).
Holl explained that while SART is a faculty-led group and a response team, SAP is a student-led group and about promoting correct attitudes about sexual assault.
Holl encourages all CMU students to learn more about her club and the prevention of sexual assault.
A teal ribbon, which is a symbol for sexual violence prevention, replaces the letter X in the club’s title.
cbauert@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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