Sacramento State?s first “Women Take Back the Night” was successful, according to Women?s Resource Center officials who helped organize the event.

The center coordinated the April 30 event with the CSUS Student Health Center, Interfraternity Council and Panhellic Sorority Council.

“Everything went really well,” said Jessica Higgins, coordinator of the Sexual Assault Education and Advocacy Program. “We got a great response from students.”

The issue of increasing campus awareness was timely, as reports had surfaced in the local media of an attempt to sexually assault a Sac State student in the residence halls the weekend before.

Activism Day was held in the Library Quad, with tables and exhibits for students to get information about sexual assaults, community awareness and resources for sexual assault victims.

“There was a steady flow all day long,” Higgins said. “A lot of people stopped to read the statistics we had posted in the grass.”Banners with different sexual assault statistics flooded the lawn on the quad, showing students just how common sexual assaults.

“A few men told me they were really surprised at how some of the statistics applied to males,” Higgins said. “A lot of them had no idea that men could be victims of sexual assault too.”

According to Sacramento City Police Department Detective Avis Beery, there were 914 sexual assaults reported in 2000. That averages out to 76 sexual assaults each month.

Activism Day showcased the Clothesline project and Sexual Assault Survivor?s flag, donated to the event by Women Escaping A Violent Environment. The Flag consisted of a variety of swatches, each representing a sexual assault victim in Sacramento County.

The Clothesline project serves as another outlet for survivors of different types of sexual assault to speak out against violence.

Victims design T-shirts that are color-coded, based on the type of sexual assault they survived.

The shirts are hung on a rack similar to a department store display where spectators could learn about the different types of assault.

“The clothesline project always gets a lot of attention,” Higgins said.

“Students are always so amazed at how common sexual assaults are in our community.”

Educational displays informed student about counseling and support programs and ways to reduce their risk of being victimized.

The Jazzee Touring Dance Company, Makamae Polynesian Dance Group and the Sac State Marching Band were just some of the clubs and organizations that participated.

Sac State self-defense instructor Midge Marino demonstrated techniques students could use to fight off an attacker, choosing audience members to participate in her examples.

“You don?t want to mess with these ladies,” Marino said of her female students. “They know how to take you down.”

Former students Rita Maningo and California Legislator Matthew Gray. spoke about how the community can combat sexual assault.

The men signed a pledge sheet, promising to stop violence against women.

“The whole day was all about reclaiming our freedom,” Higgins said. “Everyone who gave their time was just fabulous.”

The intrafraternity and pahellenic sorority councils provided a unique addition to Activism Day by holding a teeter-totter-a-thon to raise money for the ASI Children?s Center.

“It was really fun,” said Jessica Swain teeter-totter-a-thon co-chair. “My legs were sore, but it was for a good cause, so it was worth it.Greeks collected pledges and took cash donations while the groups teeter-tottered for 24 hours, working in shifts.

“That thing isn?t very comfortable,” Swain said. “But we had a stereo, pizza and movies to keep us busy. And we had a lot of caffeine.”

Swain said the councils raised $9,800 before Activism Day, and more than $500 dollars from the teeter-totter-a-thon.

Women marched from the library quad to the residence halls and back. Higgins said she was amazed at how vocal the women were throughout the walk.

“They were so loud,” Higgins said. “Cars would drive by and hear the women chanting and honk their horns and wave. There was a girl who even came out of her dorm room and did half the march in her pajamas,”

For more information, call the Women?s Resource Center at (916) 278-7388.

Send comments, questions, or concerns to [email protected]

For questions or information regarding thesite, please contact [email protected]