Rape Awareness

SENIOR Shana Hoskins plays "Jen," a survivor of rape, in the one-act play "Puzzle Pieces," written by Debbie Melloan-Ruiz. The play was performed during Rape Awareness Week.

Santiago Fiore: COMFORTING "Jen," junior Tin Wilsbach plays the part of "Drew.' Immediately following the play, stu dents were invited to discuss issues o rape with the playwright.

PREDATOR

AND THE VICTIM

TEALTHILY WATCHING unsuspecting prey hrough the thick terrain, the >reathless predator plots his trategy. He waits for the ight moment to make a lifehreatening strike.

This scenario seems like a tunt between animals in a ungle, but it depicts a rape.

Students along with the iloomington community ecognized the need for olutions to the problem of ape. The response — Rape awareness Week, sponsored

IU Student Association.

Sept. 13-18 marked the ixth year of Rape Awareness Week. Events attempted to >romote cognizance with a woad calendar of events.

The week's events began n Dunn Meadow where )eople gathered to hear the

By Rose Gallager

music from The Chosen Few and Johnny Socko. Information booths from Women's Student Union, Students Concerned about Violence Against Woman and OUT, provided information on rape and support services.

Steve Thompson, a professor at Central Michigan University and a national expert on rape issues, delivered presentations at various locations on campus.

As the professor attempted to look through the eyes of a rapist, playwright Debbie Melloan-Ruiz looked through the eyes of a survivor in her play, "Puzzle Pieces." This was the second year that this play was presented for campus rape awareness.

The play brought to light the common bias that our society perpetuates: that a woman deserves to be raped if she commits some thoughtless action. MelloanRuiz felt that the question of what a woman did to provoke rape should not be asked, but rather why a rapist feels he has the right to invade someone's life.

For some, one week is not enough. Senior Dara Neely, director of Womens' Wheels, said a week devoted to rape awareness is "just one element in an on-going education process that must go on all year round."

Even though Rape Awareness Week was one week of the year, it encouraged people to think about how to stop the predators in our society and how to comfort victims of rape. •