/ The Bark/ Building a Connected Community: Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Building a Connected Community: Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Guest Columnist: Jenna Reinhart, Director of Health Promotion & Wellness, and Erika More, Title IX Coordinator

March 29, 2026

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a time to stand in solidarity with survivors, build awareness and educate our community, and commit to a future free from sexual violence. This year marks the 25th anniversary of SAAM and we are joining the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) in focusing on building “connected communities” where everyone feels safe and respected.

The Symbols of Support

The teal ribbon is the official color of sexual violence prevention. Wearing teal serves as a simple way to show support for survivors and signal that you are an ally and a safe person to talk to.

We will have opportunities on campus Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29 to learn about and participate in Denim Day. This movement began after a 1998 Italian Supreme Court ruling overturned a rape conviction because the survivor was wearing tight jeans, with the court arguing she must have helped remove them. The next day, women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans to work in protest. Today Denim Day is a global movement to challenge victim-blaming and harmful myths about consent.

Reporting and Resources

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual misconduct, you are not alone. Our campus offers multiple pathways for support:

Confidential Resources: You can connect with Confidential Advocates at advocates@lclark.edu to talk through your options in a private, non-reporting space.
Reporting Options: To initiate a formal investigation or seek supportive measures (like housing or academic changes), contact the Title IX Coordinator, Erika More at erikamore@lclark.edu.

Let’s look out for one another. Consent is mandatory, every time.

Congrats Seniors and Cheers to Summer!

Hello L&C Students!

This final Bark of the year also kicks off your finals and move-out week. I know when finals are here because the Fowler meeting rooms start bursting at the seams and every dry erase board is covered with elaborate formulas and delirious musings in various mixtures.

Whether you have papers, exams, or presentations, you are so close to the end of the semester and it’s the last push to a long deserved break, or graduation! As the week goes along be sure to look to your peers for mutual support, relief, humor, and community. There will be a variety of study break events and locations throughout campus this week, like Watzek’s Pop-up Decompression Room.

To our graduates, it has been wonderful to see our community celebrate you at various April graduation celebrations, and I look forward to this Saturday’s commencement! I hope the parts of your L&C experience that stay with you as alumni are as meaningful as the contributions and impacts you have made here.

I look forward to seeing most of you back here on campus for Fall 2026 to help kick off our first full year as River Otters! Until then, I hope this summer provides you the rest and experiences you envision for yourself, and do what you need to do to get ready for the next year on Palatine Hill. And if you are here for the summer, come by the VPSL Office in East Hall to say hello!

So hang in there this week! Take the time to center yourself and remember to check in with each other. I’m excited for what’s to come, and congratulations again on reaching the finish line!

With gratitude,

Ben Meoz
Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students

Building a Connected Community: Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The Symbols of Support

Reporting and Resources

More Stories

Congrats Seniors and Cheers to Summer!

L&C’s Portal Renamed The Dock

Apply for Watzek’s library research award!

Summer reading at (or away from) Watzek