You’re reading a story from Sidelines 100, a project showcasing a century of student storytelling at Middle Tennessee State University. Sidelines 100 plans to highlight 100 stories from the newspaper archives this fall and spring.
This story originally ran in the April. 17, 2003, edition of Sidelines. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of all things Sidelines 100.
The story has been updated for current basic AP style, but the wording in the story has not changed. Any ideas, perspectives or opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Sidelines.
Screaming women filled the room. They kicked, they punched, and they practiced using weapons, each proclaiming they would not become victims of sexual assault.
“I am in control. I will not be a victim. And I rock!” was the cry that echoed through the third-floor halls of the Keathley University Center Tuesday afternoon as women joined together to learn to protect themselves from sexual assault and other attacks.
The Rape Aggression Prevention class, a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Week, offered MTSU students instruction in defending themselves from attackers while teaching the importance of taking preventive measures, such as being aware of surroundings at all times and not walking alone at night.
“There is no such thing as a victim, and no such thing as a weaker sex,” said main facilitator Jim Hedige, who is part of an organization at Murfreesboro’s First Church of Nazarene that regularly offers women and children free self-defense training.
“If you come to one of our seminars and remember one or two techniques, you can take care of yourself — you really can if you use it with that same confidence,” Hedige said.
Though violent crime threatens everyone, teenagers and college-age women are at greater risk for sexual assaults, according to recent studies.
According to “The Sexual Victimization of College Women,” a study conducted by National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice in 2000, women ages 16-19 are 3.5 times more likely than other age groups to be raped or sexually assaulted.
Safety on campus, especially for females, has become a greater concern at MTSU as a result of several recent assaults on and near campus.
Within a four-month span beginning in November 2002 and ending in February 2003, four assaults, two attempted break-ins, two armed robberies and one attempted robbery were reported either on or near MTSU’s campus.
Also, a man exposed himself and made sexually explicit comments to a female student at 10:22 p.m. Tuesday night in the Health Services Parking Lot, according to police reports.
“Sexual Assault Awareness Week is a very important program at MTSU because it promotes awareness and educates the MTSU campus community, as well as the Murfreesboro community, about these issues that are occurring,” said Tennisha Smith, coordinator of Sexual Assault Awareness Week at MTSU. “I would hope that people would take notice of this event more so now than ever due to the recent attacks on campus.”
People did take notice, and the room packed with enthusiastic students was the evidence.
“It was a good way to increase knowledge on how to protect myself, and this was the perfect opportunity,” junior Kristi Watkins said. “I feel safer now that I have taken the class.”
“I didn’t feel as safe when I first got here, but after the class I feel like I’m more prepared to handle it,” junior Emily Johnson said.
For more information on assault prevention, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 898-2193.
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