Man-haters, angry feminists, frigid “womyn,” ball-busters, call them what you want — they’ve heard it all before. But to the group of nearly 10 women who met for a night of support sponsored by Project Saferide on Thursday, they just want women to be aware.
Saferide education coordinator Caitlin Tatum joined forces with Sexual Assault Support Services program coordinator Raven Koch to inform women through discussion, action and information how they can become empowered in the fight against sexual assault.
“It’s a safe, comfortable place where women can come be with women of similar interests,” Tatum said.
The event was held in reaction to sexual assaults on campus becoming a bigger concern, according to Tatum. Sexual assault was defined as any unwanted sexual activity.
“One in four women in college will be assaulted,” she said. “We want to show them this is what they can do to prevent it from happening. It can happen to anybody.”
“It’s getting worse on campus,” junior Michelle Brown said.
Although the participants enthusiastically stood up for the safety of women, they were not out to make enemies by launching a verbal attack on men.
“Men are not rapists,” student Susie Shauger said. “Rapists are rapists.”

Motivational speech was also a part of the evening, as Koch encouraged the women to trust themselves and their choices in all situations of attack or threat.
“Trust that no matter which one we made, it was the perfect and right choice because we survived and we’re here,” she said.
The task of not only informing but motivating is sometimes easier said than done.
“It’s hard to get women aware of what’s happening and of crimes against women on campus,” Tatum said in regard to the lack of publicity women’s issues have been receiving on campus. Lately, however, she has seen a growing awareness and women’s movement to assert themselves, defining their boundaries.
“A lot of women are noticing what’s going on and saying it’s not OK,” she said.
The women took a stand for their rights, brainstorming on posters titled “I Want,” “I Have the Right” and “I Deserve,” regarding the things they felt they were being denied as women, including safety after dark, freedom from fear and not feeling like a target for attackers.
Koch also warned women of signs they might be a target and pinpointed some forms of assault women might otherwise shrug off. She outlined a “Continuum of Assault,” ranging from sources of irritation to life-threatening situations women face every day that can build up to a feeling of inferiority, and warned them to be aware of their behavior.
“If you’re always sweet and accommodating, you set yourself up to be assaulted,” she said. According to Koch, 85 percent of the time, the aggressor is someone the woman knows and the attacker often plans the assault very carefully, not allowing the victim ample time to plan an escape.
Koch defined self-defense as not only letting your fists do the talking, but dealing through more subtle actions. She cited locking doors, trusting instincts and communicating clearly all as good steps being safer.
During discussion, the women relayed stories of attacks on campus and pitched ideas of what could be done to prevent more violence in the future. They hoped for more cooperation from campus safety authorities for protection and getting the word out of places where women should be especially on guard.
“We need (the Department of Public Safety) on our side,” Casey Rohter said.
They also proposed a women’s task force on campus to ensure safety wherever women are traveling — by auto or by foot — to boost the morale about safety.
Later, though, Koch taught the more physical approach to warding off attackers, as she coached the group in several self-defense maneuvers to get out of awkward and potentially dangerous situations, pinpointing an attacker’s eyes, knees and throat.