Amidst the recent “#MeToo” movement regarding sexual assault flooding the media, awareness is spreading farther than just online hashtags with City College’s new club, Students Against Sexual Assault.
The SASA group is a nonprofit organization that is aiming to eliminate sexual assault cases and increase awareness on both the University of California, Santa Barbara and City College campuses. Isabel Carrillo, president of the City College branch of the club, became interested when UCSB posted that they were looking for a City College representative.
Carrillo believes this club to be crucial to the campus due to the new revisions that have been made to the gender equity law, Title IX, and how they have been implemented on campus. These revisions are seen to be “extremely harmful to survivors,” according to Carrillo.
The lack of information and help that the campus has provided has given the students the responsibility to educate each other about the issue. Carrillo has taken on this responsibility as president of the club and looks forward to the upcoming semester.
The club’s main goal is to spread awareness about sexual assault and to educate students while doing so.
“Sexual assault and harassment are issues that affect campus communities everywhere and City College students need to be aware, work on solutions, know signs, be allies, and be safe,” said Amy Collins.
Club members will spread this awareness by hosting events and arranging training workshops.
In addition to hosting events and activities, Carrillo said that she wants her club to be a place where survivors have people to talk to and come and get support and resources.
The club upholds the principles of intersectionality, they support and welcome individuals of all genders, races, and ethnicities to join.
In order to increase awareness, the club has ideas to promote campus self-defense classes, institute mandatory sexual assault orientations for various groups on campus, and give classroom presentations regarding the topic.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, club members saw this as a perfect opportunity for their first event. The club will have a table from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14 on the West Campus lawn. Members will be giving out treats to those who participate in their consent and respect focused activity.
Networking and Planning Coordinator and club member Paulina Fisher is using their first event as an opportunity to educate the campus.
“People need to know what we’re talking about,” said Fisher. Every club member is very passionate about this topic, and are taking on this responsibility to raise awareness about sexual assault all across campus.
The club meets every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in West Campus Classroom 207.
Editor’s Correction:
This article has been corrected from a previous version stating that Amy Collins was the club’s adviser. Roxane Pate is the official club adviser.
