Shannon Galofaro/Roundup
Tying into HIV/AIDS Awareness Week the campus violence response team joined together to promote Denim Day.
“Denim Day is a sexual assault awareness day,” said Holly Hagan, textbook buyer at Pierce.
Denim Day is the third Wednesday of April every year.
Denim Day is a rape prevention education campaign, which raises community awareness about the impact of sexual violence and how to prevent it.
It was started when a young girl was raped in Italy. She was taking driving lessons and her 45-year-old driving instructor raped her.
The driver was convicted of the crime, but appealed the case. The appeal judge overcame the conviction and the accused was not convicted.
The judge believed that because victim was wearing jeans she must have assisted in removing them, therefore the act was consensual.
“We wear jeans on Denim Day to say you can wear anything and be raped,” said Hagan. “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing.”
Hagen invited Reza Moazezi, Catalyst (martial arts instructor) from The Way of No Way.
The Pierce community joined together to spread self awareness of sexual and relationship violence.
A booth was set up with a t-shirt clothesline project.
Victims, survivors of domestic violence, sexual harassment, child abuse and gender abuse wrote their story on a t-shirt. The shirts were then displayed for awareness.
There was a special appearance from Reza Moazezi, Catalyst from The Way of No Way. Which has survival seminars for self-defense dedicated to women.
According to Moazezi, there isn’t one right way to defend yourself. That’s why several types of self-defense are taught in his program.
Moazezi and his student Anna Bolognese demonstrated several self-defense techniques. The techniques varied with a combination of kickboxing, Muay Thai and Kali.
“Its not an MMA fad,” said Moazezi. “Its a heritage and warriorism.”
For more information on The Way of No Way, visit www.thewayofnoway.net.
For more information on Denim Day or HIV/AIDS awareness go to the student health center which is located in the Student
Services Building on the second floor. Holly Hagen can be reached via email at haganha@piercecollege.edu.
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Janet Alexander (left) and Nathalie Nehman Pierce College students, read stories about acts of violence written on T-shirts provided by Campus Violence Response Team for Los Angeles Demin Day. April 21th 2010 in front of the Student Store, Pierce College Woodland Hills Calif. (Sayed A. Balkhi)
Nathalie Nehman, a Pierce College student reads a story about acts of violence written on back of T-shirts provided by Campus Violence Response Team for Los Angeles Demin Day. April 21th 2010 in front of the Student Store, Pierce College Woodland Hills Calif. (Sayed A. Balkhi)
