April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and Central’s Wellness Center raised awareness with the Clothesline Project last week.

Haley Furstenwerth, senior public health major and Peer Health Educator in the Wellness Center,  said, “The clothesline project is where people are free to decorate shirts however they want, keeping in mind the topic of sexual assault and domestic violence.”

After the event, T-shirts were hung from the second floor railing of the SURC, representing the different ways that sexual assault and domestic violence have affected Central students.

“We want others to see how people are affected by this topic and break the stigma associated with sexual assault and domestic violence,” Furstenwerth said.

Clothesline project helping raise awareness

Doug Fulp, health educator at the Wellness Center, said he brought the idea to Central after seeing it done at the University of Colorado and at Montana State University.

“[I] saw their programs [to] be pretty successful, so I thought it was something I could bring here,” Fulp said.

Another reason the Wellness Center decided to put on this event was so people could share their stories, Furstenwerth said. Those people could choose to share their stories because they are survivors, or are supporting someone who has been affected by abuse.

“The goal is to raise awareness of the topic, commemorate those affected by the topic in any way and to bring awareness to the Central campus,” Furstenwerth said.

Different Colors, Different Meanings

There are eight different colors that can go onto a T-shirt, Furstenwerth said. Those colors represent four different meanings.

“The white is supporting someone who has died from violence, kind of like commemorating someone. Blue and green are those who have supported a victim or survivor, or helped anyone in any way,” said Furstenwerth.  “Red, pink and orange are those who have been affected by someone else’s story. Teal and purple are those who are victims or survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.”

Teal and purple are also the colors of awareness for sexual assault and domestic violence. Teal represents sexual assault awareness, while purple represents domestic violence awareness, Furstenwerth said.

Central students are affected

“One-in-three women and one-in-seven men, which is higher than the national average, […]are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence once they become students here,” Furstenwerth said.

Erin Reeh, senior public health major, said the Clothesline Project brings awareness to sexual and domestic abuse. By seeing the T-shirts, this issue is brought to the forefront of peoples’ minds.

“I think this gives a visual; everyone can see it that walks through the SURC. It’s kinda like a bigger thing, so even if you don’t want to see, you’re gonna see it anyway,” Reeh said.

The topic of sexual assault and domestic violence does affect everyone in some way, Furstenwerth said. There are people who are affected by the topic that go unnoticed.

Furstenwerth said, “People should be free to talk about this topic and get the help they need without the stigma.”