Jill Sneider wants Syracuse University to be a community that doesn’t tolerate sexual assault.

Sneider, SU’s sexual and relationship violence prevention coordinator, hosted the #NotAskingForIt video launch Monday in the Schine Student Center as a part of the Got Consent? Be SU.R.E. campaign.

The video was inspired by a Not Asking For It video that was created by students at Wesleyan University, Sneider said. At the end of last semester, Randi Lemons, a graduate student in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, began work on the project with student volunteers.

In the video, SU students are seen dancing and interacting with each other in various outfits and locations while “Not Asking For It” is displayed across the screen. Sneider said that the video is meant to show that no matter what you wear, how you act or where you are, no one is asking for sexual assault.

“Sexual assault happens on this campus. This video is a way of promoting prevention,” Sneider said. “We want to open a conversation about consent and sexual assault and hold people responsible for their behavior.”

The event was a collaboration of the groups behind the Got Consent? Be SU.R.E. campaign, which includes the Office of Health Promotion, Sex Esteem, Students Advocating Sexual Safety and Empowerment, the Girl Code Movement and A Men’s Issue.

Claire Keeney, a member of SASSE, said she was pleased to see the university take initiative in addressing issues of sexual assault.

“We were happy to see that this video was created by an office within the university and it really gives a clear definition for consent, which is important for students to see,” Keeney said.

Several events will be held on campus as part of the campaign throughout the semester, including the annual Take Back the Night march on March 31 and SU Rising, a vigil and rally that will be held by SASSE on Friday.

“As students advocating for sexual empowerment, we believe that the topics of consent and sexual assault prevention are not things that should be veiled or oppressed as they often have been,” Keeney said.

Brittany Beyer, a member of Sex Esteem and a senior history and international relations dual major, said it was important for organizations to be present at the event not only to support the campaign, but also to bring awareness to the work of the Office of Health Promotion regarding sexual assault. Beyer said it’s important for students to remember that consent is a cornerstone of healthy relationships, particularly while being surrounded by hookup culture.

Miriam Rossi, a senior child and family studies major, said she was impressed by the video and saw the campaign as an asset to the university.

“It was good to see people collaborating on these serious issues — issues that I’ve seen first-hand here for three years,” Rossi said. “I’m excited that, as a campus, we’re taking it upon ourselves to be a part of this movement.”

Published on February 10, 2015 at 12:01 am

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