The Rocket

Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Nathan Collins Karla Fonner, the coordinator for the Bridge Project, discusses sexual assault with students Tuesday night in the Behavioral Science Building. [Click to enlarge]

Can a sexual assault ruin your good time? A program centered around having a safe spring break asked this question at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Strain Behavioral Science Building.

So why ask such a strange question that has such an obvious answer?

"Well, partly to get people to come (to the program)," said Karla Fonner, the Bridge Project Coordinator. "Spring break is a great time, but something bad could also happen. We just want people to be aware of the resources that are available on campus when you come back (if a sexual assault occurred over spring break)."

With a PowerPoint presentation all ready to go, Fonner and Jessie Barbati, the SRU campus advocate for victims of sexual assault and an employee for the Victim Outreach Intervention Center, told the small crowd that the program would be rather informal, and warned that they would speak candidly and openly, as they said they didn't embarrass easily.

The program began with the hosts asking the audience what they thought of when they heard the words "spring break."

Some of the answers thrown out included going to the beach, hanging out with friends, hot guys and girls in bikinis.

"When I think of spring break, I think of MTV," Fonner said. "And generally, spring break is a good time. We're not here to tell you not to go (travel) anywhere, but we want you to be aware of the risk factors that are out there, even if you are just going home and are going to a party."

Barbati then turned the program to the topic of alcohol and first said that alcohol does not cause sexual assault.

However, she said you need to consider that 90 percent of non-stranger rapes involve alcohol. She also said that the desire to commit sexual assault may sometimes cause alcohol consumption.

Continued...

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