Newly elected Superior Court Judge Elliot Daum will preside over Sonoma State University's first Mock Rape Trial on Tuesday, April 25, as part of a series of events during national Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Clothesline Project, a visual display of t-shirts that bears witness to the survivors and victims of gender-based violence, will fill the Main Quad on Tuesday, April 4, followed by a Take Back the Night Rally that starts in the Residence Halls at 7:30 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.
The Mock Rape Trial, from 7-9 p.m., Warren Auditorium, will explore the social, psychological and criminal justice issues involved in the aftermath of a sexual assault. The participants, along with Judge Daum, will be SSU students in the roles of attorneys and witnesses, as well as the alleged victim and perpetrator. A jury of six women and six men will be selected from the audience.
SSU's annual display of The Clothesline Project, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., is just one of many held nationwide to graphically demonstrate the prevalence of violence against women. The display also offers a healing opportunity for those affected by gender violence. The t-shirts, created by victims or those with loved ones who have been victimized, bear messages of anger, solidarity, support and sadness. Participants get the chance to anonymously
express their pain, then "leave it hanging on the line" for all to see. The color-coded shirts, hanging side by side, offer an image of the survivors standing together, shoulder to shoulder, supporting each other.
Take Back the Night rallies and marches have been held since the 1970s as a way to protest the fear of violence many women feel, especially if they go out at night. Women also march together to show their strength and determination to make the world safe for women. SSU has been holding these marches since 1995.
For more information about these and other Sexual Assault Awareness Month events during April, contact Eileen Merberg, SSU's Sexual Assault Education Coordinator, (707) 664-2752.
