Above: April 24, 2024, National Denim Day. Christopher Newport students, faculty and staff wear denim to demonstrate solidarity with assault victims.
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Christopher Newport University will mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) with its second annual Denim Day observance and other events.
The national theme for SAAM is “Together We Act, United We Change.”
During Sexual Assault Awareness Month and at other times, the Wellness Action Team (WATCH) sponsors and hosts programs to educate the CNU community and raise awareness about health and wellness prevention topics. WATCH is composed of campus partners including Accessibility and Care Team Support, the Office of Institutional Compliance/Title IX, and faculty in a variety of disciplines as well as student organizations such as Where’s The Line.
Here are the major SAAM events scheduled on campus:
- Hour 2 Empower, 7 p.m. April 10, David Student Union Ballroom. Where's the Line, a student organization, joins with Fear2Freedom to sponsor this service and educational event. Students will learn about bystander intervention, how to respond to someone's story, and how to help prevent sexual assault in all CNU communities. Students are also able to dedicate an hour of their time to filling iCare and AfterCare kits for survivors of sexual assault.
- Take Back the Night, 5:30 p.m. April 16, Freeman Center hosted by Accessibility and Care Team Support. There are three elements to this event a rally at the Freeman Center to hear from survivors, experts and activists about sexual violence; a march around campus to reinforce the University’s commitment to ending sexual violence; and a speak-out at the Freeman Center to uplift the voices of survivors.
- Denim Day, April 30. This is CNU’s second observance of an annual, national event. National Denim Day was started 25 years ago to protest a supreme court ruling in Italy in which a judge determined a rape victim was wearing tight jeans which her assailant would have needed her help to remove, and therefore she must have consented to sex. Organizers say wearing denim on National Denim Day demonstrates solidarity with assault victims. All faculty, staff and students are invited to wear denim to mark the day. A group photo will again be taken near the steps to Christopher Newport Hall. WATCH is coordinating this observance.
For resources to support survivors of sexual assault or sexual violence, please visit the Office of Institutional Compliance/Title IX.