The Hook Up event clarifies important information regarding sexual assault

Every year, the student leadership program hosts a sexual assault prevention event, and this year’s event was an interactive program called “The Hook Up,” and was created by Catharsis Productions.

“Hooking up can often sound like harmless fun, but it can also be a cover for some very unhealthy behaviors,” Catharsis Productions said on their website. “This engaging discussion pulls back the covers on hooking up, clarifying when it’s actually sexual violence and how bystanders can protect potential victims from predators.”

The program required active participation from students in order to teach them about topics like the definitions of sexual assault and how to hold sex offenders accountable.

With sexual assault reports popping up around the country as students return to campus, the program addresses those types of situations head-on.

The Fiji sexual assaults at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Iowa are two examples of sexual assault that occurred on college campuses this year. Noah Henry, a freshman who attended multiple Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) protests at UNL, said he is an active supporter in the fight for consent.

“I think that when it comes to anything involving another person, especially in an intimate way, consent is necessary,” Henry said. “If you are trying to get with somebody who is intoxicated, they can’t properly consent. It’s terrible what happened at that party, and the victim deserves justice.”

Catharsis Productions said they wanted students to leave with three major takeaways: connecting the dots between sexist language and hooking up, knowing the differences between a healthy sexual encounter and a rape and empowering students to hold sex offenders accountable.

To report an assault, contact the University Police or the Vermillion Police Department. To get support, reach out to ICARE Vermillion or the Student Counseling Center.