Highlights:


• The Cal Poly community “rose for justice” and spoke about empowerment and ending violence and sexual assault at Cal Poly.

• Games, prizes, and trivia were available to anyone who came by the Safer and Gender Equity Center booths.

• Students encouraged to speak about why they rise.

• Safer, with the help of many fraternity members, sold roses for Valentine’s Day.

•The GEC promoted their production of The Vagina Monologues.

•How to get involved with The GEC and Safer

 Cal Poly Rises For Justice In "Campus Rising"
 “I am rising because my younger sisters deserve to go
to a university that is safe,”
 Cal Poly Safer and The Gender Equity Center’s logo for V-Day.

Ashlee Burt, a graduate assistant at Cal Poly’s sexual assault

awareness organization, Safer, said as wore her “I Love

Consensual Sex” t-shirt in the University Union Plaza in front of

innumerable members of the Cal Poly community. Ashlee is just one of

ten courageous people who stood on that stage and spoke into the

microphone, with just one sentence each, about why they want and

need to rise for justice in order to end sexual assault on college and

university campuses. Their tenacity influenced three more passersby

to speak on stage as well. On Thursday, February 13th, 2014, in honor

of the V-Day Movement’s spotlight campaign of Campus Rising, Cal

Poly vowed to rise until the violence stops.

 

 -----------The V-Day Movement----------
In partnership with The Vagina Monologues, V-Day is a global activist
campaign that addresses different aspects of violence against women
and girls each year, depending on the current events of that particular
year. “Since 2013, the movement has raised over $85 million and has
educated millions about the issue of violence against women,” The
Gender Equity Center Assistant Coordinator, Tammie Velasquez, said.
 
This year’s campaign, Campus Rising, focuses on sexual assaults
specifically on college and university campuses. As a result of V-Day,
sexual assault policies on campuses across the globe have been
reformed, and where change is yet to be seen, extensive
communication is continuing until the necessary changes have been
made.
   ----------V-Day & Safer----------
 Safer was a co-sponsor of Cal Poly’s Campus Rising event, and in
addition to selling their famous “I Love Consensual Sex” t-shirts,
employees and student assistants worked the booth and gave out
prizes to those who participated in the various games being played.
Simultaneously, many members from several of Cal Poly’s fraternities
volunteered with Safer to sell roses in honor of Valentine’s Day. All
proceeds went to RISE - Respect, Inspire, Support, Empower - San
Luis Obispo’s organization that helps survivors of intimate partner
violence and sexual assault/abuse as well as loved ones of survivors.
Riley Hasche, third year wine and viticulture major and one of Safer’s Fraternity 
and Sorority Life Educators, playing a game of cornhole at Campus Rising.

----------V-Day & The Gender Equity Center---------- 
“Cal Poly alone raised $16,800 in 2013 and we hope to 
increase our efforts with this year’s production, and 
continue to show Cal Poly and SLO’s commitment to 
empowering women and to taking a stand for justice 
across the globe,” 
Kat Beglin, Gender Equity Center Graduate Assistant, said.

 

The Gender Equity Center was a co-sponsor of Cal Poly’s Campus 

Rising event, and in addition to having a booth set up with GEC 

student assistants and employees overseeing games of trivia and 

handing out prizes, Beglin dressed herself in a vagina costume and 

walked around the University Union promoting The Vagina 

Monologues. 

GEC Graduate Assistant, Kat Beglin, dressed as a vagina with several Cal Poly fraternity members
 who helped Safer sell roses for Valentine’s Day.
----------How Can YOU Get Involved?----------
• Go to the Gender Equity Center and/or Safer website. 

• Select the “Get Involved” tab on either site.

• Contact the person in charge of recruiting new interns, 
volunteers, etc., whose email is in the “Get Involved” tab.

 

Can’t find what you’re looking for? The GEC and Safer share an office 
space in University Union room 217 and are always open to walk-in 
visits and discussions, and always have applications readily available 
for anyone interested in getting involved with either organization. 

Gender Equity Center and Safer staff members and actresses from Cal Poly’s 
production of The Vagina Monologues at Campus Rising. 
----------Cal Poly Rises----------
The GEC and Safer continue to work tirelessly to end violence and sexual 
assault/abuse, among many other things, on campus. Campus Rising 
was just one event of many that these organizations hold to take a 
stand and to raise awareness on campus.

“I thought it was really awesome to see a lot of student volunteers 
at Safer and GEC,” Sean Martinez, a third year history major and GEC 
student assistant, said. “It’s really cool to see all that support coming 
from students actively taking a role and stepping up to take a stand 
against violence against women here on campus.”
Winston Wight, second year business major, Ashley Katzeff, fourth year journalism major, and Alex Thomas, third year civil engineering major, all of whom are Safer student assistants, are photographed while working at the Safer booth.
Riley Hasche, third year wine and viticulture major, Safer Coordinator, Christina Kaviani, Ashley Katzeff, fourth year journalism major, and Katy Palmer, fourth year anthropology major, are photographed by the Safer and GEC booths.
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