On Oct. 18, the Title IX Office hosted “The Clothesline Project” in the Student Center Amphitheater in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Painted shirts were on display, sharing words of kindness and empowerment.

Julia Kristman, the University’s Title IX specialist, shared the off-ice’s reasoning for putting on an event like this: “We do this every year, “The Clothesline Project”, to show solidarity and support to everybody who is on campus and bring awareness.”

“Sometimes, with domestic violence, we get kind of overshadowed by breast cancer awareness,” said Kristman. “With the Title IX Office, our office supports any students, faculty, staff that are experiencing domestic violence. We give them the support and accommodations that they need to get through that hilly process.”

In the midst of the “Red Zone”, a term used to describe the time from August until around Thanksgiving where sexual assault reports are most frequent, it’s crucial that the University community remains alert and informed about the risks and realities that many face.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (kno-wn as the CDC), intimate partner violence is very common. The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey found that, “About 41% of women and 26% of men experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and reported an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime.”

India Campbell, an intern in the Title IX Office, spoke about the important role of domestic violence awareness on South’s campus and events surrounding it.

“It’s one of those realities that I know that people like to ignore because it’s not pretty, but to help victims feel seen and heard and encourage them to come forward, we do need to have events like this and spread this awareness,” Campbell said. “It’s also important to teach people the red flags and know what to look for and how to prevent getting into those situations, as well as how to leave them.”

Volunteers from Penelope House, a local shelter for victims of intimate partner violence, were also tabling at “The Clothesline Project”. While Penelope House shares the goal of spreading awareness and educating the community of the dangers that can happen behind closed doors, they also work to help victims “gain social and economic independence through shelter, counseling, advocacy, and referral to community resources and agencies in Mobile, Washington, Choctaw, and Clarke Counties in Alabama.”

At the University of South Alabama, these resources include the Title IX Office, Counseling and Wellness, The Heart Project, USA Police Department, USA Student Health Center, and the USA Advocate Program, all of which can be found through the University’s webpage.