February 24, 2010 Adam Sherwood

avsherwood1@yahoo.com

    Statistics indicate that every nine seconds a woman is battered. Just as frightening, a woman is raped every 60 seconds. Often these victims are unable to receive help because such crimes are considered “taboo.” Often they are swept under the rug as people would just rather not think about such terrible things.
    The Clothesline Project, currently in progress on GSU campus, seeks to help victims of sexual or domestic violence find the help they need to take back control of their lives. Participation is free and everyone is invited.
    “We want to provide a forum for people to talk about their experiences and raise awareness,” said Jody Caldwell, the assistant director of the counseling center at Georgia Southern.
    The project began in 1990 in Cape Cod to promote awareness and help women break the silence. Caldwell explained that the project is a figurative airing out of victims’ “dirty laundry.” Participants take a t-shirt and write their story on it. The shirt is then hung on a clothesline for passersby to read. Currently they are on display at the Rotunda on campus.
    “It really helps people in their healing process to be able to expose these things,” Caldwell said. Along with the shirts are accompanying gongs, whistles and bells that sound out at various time intervals to educate people as to just how prevalent sexual and domestic abuse really is.
    The Clothesline Project will conclude Feb. 25 with the Take Back the Night March and Rally. The march will start at 7 p.m. at Landrum and will go through campus ending at the Rotunda. The rally will begin with a student group performing some music pieces as well as an overview in recent legislative advancements regarding laws against sexual and domestic violence. Keynote speaker Joni Poole will talk about her own experiences with abuse and then the microphone will open to others. Volunteers will be able to tell their own stories. The clothesline itself will be taken down at the end of the rally. Those who have donated and designed a shirt can take theirs home or leave it for next year's event.
    “We have material for students or they can bring in their own shirt if they’d like,” encouraged Caldwell. “Our primary focus is to respond to sexual assault victims.”
    The Clothesline Project is not the only event they do. In the fall the center will put on a show called “Sex Signals” that will seek to educate both men and women about dating violence. They also do public speaking and work with the Rape Crisis Center in Statesboro. Caldwell stressed how important it is to tell somebody if you’ve been a victim of sexual or domestic assault. GSU’s counseling center offers free and confidential help. For more information on the Clothesline project visit clotheslineproject.org or call GSU’s counseling center at 912-478-5541.

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