Service Learning Blog 2

1.       Activism:

This week Chelsea and I gave a presentation for the Pan Council. Pan meetings have delegates from every sorority and many fraternities on campus, that come to get information on what is going on with in Greek life.  We talked about having speakers come to each chapter from Victim Services, and made sure everyone was aware of our underawarness drive. We passed out cut outs of underwear made from paper with all of the information and how to contact us so they could bring the information back to their specific chapters. We had a great success in reaching so many people at one time.  The pitfall would be how nervous we were and that we may have not performed to the best of our ability. Next week we will continue to reach out to the chapters. Also next week an advocate from victim services will be going to Pi Phi and Chi Omega to conduct an open dialogue forum about boundaries.

2.       Reflection

The Activism we have done this week relates to the importance of women working together. Although Chelsea and I are a small portion of Greek life and the UCF community, our voices are able to be heard. We were able to inform a number of people about the needs of women in our community who have been victims of sexual assault.  It is extremely important for people especially women on campuses to be aware of the dangers of sexual assault on college campuses.  “The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report…estimated that one in four U.S. college women was a victim of rape or attempted rape” ( Kirk, Okazawa-Rey, 262). This is a staggering statistic, and shows that there should be more education for women who spends a great amount of time on college campuses. Through our speaking to Pan we hope that we have opened their minds to the dangers they should be aware of, and the importance of having a connection with Victim Services to continue this education.

                One of the main reasons we decided to have the advocate address the problem of boundary setting is because we feel this is a subject women would greatly benefit from being more informed on. Boundaries are not always clear, and it is not always clear how and where to set these boundaries, which is dangerous for women and men.  “Ninety percent of college women who are victims of rape or attempted rape know their assailant, usually a classmate, friend, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend.” (Kirk, Okazawa-Rey, 262)  This is another surprising statistic for most college aged women. They believe the occurrence of rape comes from “stranger danger”, and this myth can perpetuate violence. If women are able to set clear boundaries with the men they are intimate with, it would serve to better protect both parties.  This would have to start with the knowledge of what is appropriate and what is not.

3.       Reciprocity

In return for this work I think I am gaining a better understanding of my own experiences. I have definitely found myself standing stronger in my personal relationships, especially my relationships with men. I also feel phenomenal about trying to make a positive impact on the Greek community, because it is a community that has given me so much.