Philomeleans mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month

For the seventh consecutive year, the Philomelean Literary Society at Erskine College, better known as the Philo Women, are joining with the Sexual Trauma & Counseling Center in Greenwood to spotlight Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) with several April events.

The Philo Women hosted a “Sexual Assault Awareness Table” April 9 at the volleyball game during Geek vs. Greek Week and will repeat this activity at Spring Fling April 14. They kicked off the month with a viewing of Jean Kilbourne’s Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising’s Image of Women, co-sponsored by the Erskine Society for Psychology (ESP).

“Students learned how many advertising images are digitally altered and how sexism and gender inequality are promoted in ads,” Bonner Hall resident director Jessie Estep said.

The group formed a “Human Ribbon” outside Moffatt Dining Hall April 10 to draw attention to their concerns.

On Tuesday, April 17, beginning at noon, the Philomeleans will release a balloon every 2.5 minutes as a reminder of how often sexual assault occurs in the United States.

Professor of Psychology Dr. Robert Elsner serves as sponsor for the Philomeleans.