In light of recent attacks on campus and sexual assaults over the summer, various organizations are putting on a sexual assault awareness campaign, “Locks and Bagels,” today in Library Mall.
University Health Services, the Tenant Resource Center, University of Wisconsin SAFE Nighttime services, the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin and Dane County Government are involved in the project.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to noon with free bagels and will feature tips and information for tenants in Madison.
The two focal points of the outreach event are the availability of SAFE network services and landlord and tenant rights in apartment safety.
“We want to encourage people to use SAFE nighttime services and to use safety in numbers,” said Jane Goemans, SAFE Nighttime Services Coordinator.
Dane County provided funding to promote further campus safety outreach in the wake of summer assaults and more recent campus crime.
“Dane County supports campus safety and sexual assault prevention every year,” Dane County Supervisor Scott McDonnell said in a release. “There were serious assaults this summer that really make clear the reason we are invested in this work.”
Goemans said students need to be aware of city resources.
“We want students to know the SAFE number and to keep it handy,” Goemans said. “Students should know the numbers to call for a walk or a ride.”
Goemans stressed students should use caution and should not walk alone, but instead in a group.
Today’s event will focus on understanding tenant and landlord rights and knowing proper use of apartment safety features.
“The whole idea is to promote locking your own door among students,” said Dana Alder, UHS Community Partnership Team Manager. “We encourage all students to be conscious about these issues.”
The Tenant Resource Center will focus on safety in apartments and offer tips for tenants.
Another issue students can look into is self-defense.
“We also encourage people to take self-defense or attitude classes like Chimera,” Alder said.
Chimera is a program designed to teach students how to walk with attitude and how to handle self-defense issues. The Rape Crisis Center puts on this program. A similar on-campus training program took place last year, Alder said.
