The Inter-Greek Council (IGC) and the Campus Violence Prevention Project have teamed up to sponsor the Clothesline Project, a public art display honoring sexual assault victims.
The display will feature T-shirts which will be hung on the Academic Quad next Tuesday and Wednesday. Students had the opportunity to design the shirts yesterday and will have a second chance today from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Mayer Campus Center.
Although next week's display will cater exclusively to Tufts students, the project itself is part of a national initiative that was started in 1990.
Coinciding with Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the project aims to draw attention to assaults on campus. As such, only students who have been sexually assaulted or know someone who has also been sexually assaulted are able to design a T-shirt.
"Students can decorate a T-shirt in honor of a sexual assault survivor, or for themselves to commemorate their own survival or show their solidarity," Tufts' Violence Prevention Program Coordinator Elaine Theodore said.
Next week, students will also have the opportunity to share their stories and those of their friends or loved ones. Sponsors will read anonymous stories as well.
According to sophomore IGC Press Chair Jessica Snow, approximately 20 to 30 students showed up today to design a shirt. She hopes that more will come tomorrow, and she said that members of the Greek system will add around 60 shirts to those made by other students.
When the T-shirts are designed and displayed on the quad, Snow thinks they will serve as an important visual reminder of an often neglected subject.
"What we really feel is that there's a disconnect on this campus," she said. "There's a lot of '[assault] doesn't happen on this campus' or '[it can't] happen to me.'"
Aside from drawing attention to the problem, Snow also hopes to help victims. To do this, resources such as pamphlets and contact information for counseling will be available during the design of the T-shirts and while they are displayed.
Snow said that it is important for the Greek system to be involved with the project because its chapters, particularly fraternities, are often associated with sexual assault. She said that this is an unfair stereotype and that the IGC is working to remedy any misperceptions that exist.
"We want to let young women know that they are protected while inside a Greek house," Snow said.
-Rob Silverblatt contributed reporting to this article
