RADFORD -- October is Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Awareness month at Radford University. RU faculty, staff and students and community organizations have teamed up to raise awareness of violence against women and all people.

Throughout October, everyone is invited to attend and participate in a host of events on RU’s campus, including the White and Purple Ribbon Campaign held throughout the month. Men who wear a white ribbon are taking a personal pledge to never commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women. The Purple Ribbon Campaign is an international campaign to raise awareness of violence against women. Wearing a purple ribbon symbolizes recognition of victims of sexual, domestic and other forms of violence in hopes of breaking the silence surrounding these issues. RU student-athletes will be wearing and handing out ribbons at home games on October 6, 13 and 20.

Other events include (also see Calendar of Events):

• October 8 - Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes: A Film by Byron Hurt, former college quarterback, gender violence prevention educator and longtime hip-hop fan, pays tribute to hip-hop while challenging the rap music industry to take responsibility for too often perpetuating destructive, deeply conservative styles of manhood that glamorize sexism, violence and homophobia. Danielle Currier and students from AREUHYPE! will facilitate discussion immediately following the film, Russell Hall, Room 007, 7 p.m.
• October 10 - Equalogy presents two interactive plays: One Night, Accusations of rape rocks a close circle of friends. Who would you believe? And Four Hearts Changing, 4 friends…2 couples…1 scary situation. Find out what’s happening behind closed doors. At times humorous, at times dramatically intense, but never boring. Preston Hall, Bondurant Auditorium, 4 and 7 p.m.
• October 15-16 - The Clothesline Project, a national effort to raise awareness of violence against women. Survivors of violence and their friends and families create T-shirts commemorating their experiences. Students, faculty, staff are invited to make T-shirts. All shirts are anonymous. Heth Lounge C, 1 – 4 p.m.
• October 16 – Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex, and Power in Music video. In this documentary, director Sut Jhally examines the stories contemporary music videos tell about girls and women, and encourages viewers to consider how these narratives shape individual and cultural attitudes about sexuality. Dr. Michele Ren will facilitate a discussion immediately following the film, Heth Lounge B, 5:30 p.m.
• October 17 – Take Back the Night, speaker Brett Sokolow will present “Drunk Sex or Date Rape,” a program in which he draws on his legal experience to facilitate an interactive jury exercise where the audience “hears” a trial based on a real sexual assault case. Preston Hall, Bondurant Auditorium, 7 p.m. A march around campus will begin at 8 p.m. ending with a speak-out on Tartan Plaza in front of the Clothesline Project Display.
• October 23 – “ID Please: The Identity Struggles Caused By An Acquaintance Rape”. As part of the Women’s Studies Faculty Lecture Series, RU communication professor Sandra French will discuss her research on how victims make sense of their rape experience, Heth Lounge B, 12:30 pm.
• October 26 - The Center For Gender Studies and the Psychology Department Present:  Dr. Arnold S. Kahn’s “Was It Rape Or Just A Bad Night? Responses From Victims and Observers”. Research shows that many women experience sexual assaults that appear to meet the legal definition of rape, but do not label their experience as rape. This research explores the characteristics of situations that are and are not typically labeled as rape. Kahn is a professor of psychology at James Madison University, Hurlburt Room 249/250, 11 a.m.

Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Awareness Month is sponsored by Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education, RU Peer Educators, Women’s Studies Program, The Center for Gender Studies, Psychology Department, AREUHYPE!, Office of New Student Programs’ Success Starts Here Lecture Series, and the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley. 

Lee Carter, Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education Coordinator, said, “It is my hope that the events in the month of October provide an opportunity for survivors of sexual and domestic violence to feel support from their community and for the community at large to become more aware of the effect that these issues have on our society.” 

All events are free and open to the public. To learn more, call the Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education at (540) 831-5709.