Students are welcome to join the HOPE council and BYU-Idaho’s Wellness Center in the John Taylor Building from 4-5 p.m. to have a Q&A about overcoming trauma and where to get help.
Students can ask questions on the day of the event or submit their questions anonymously through the QR code below.
Tanner Mecham, one of the coordinators of the event, said that in addition to the Q&A, Emily Brumbaugh, sexual assault support counselor, will be giving information on what BYU-Idaho offers students who are victims of sexual assault.
The school will hold this event on a day when people worldwide have spread awareness for the last 25 years.
April 26, “Denim Day,” supports sexual violence victims. On Denim Day, people wear jeans to spread awareness.
It started because of a supreme court case in 1992.
The Italian court overturned the sentencing of a driving instructor who raped an 18-year-old girl. According to a New York Times article, the instructor had taken the girl to an isolated place during a driving class. He threatened to kill her if anyone found out what had happened.
She ended up telling her parents and the instructor was arrested and prosecuted. It wasn’t until a year later that he appealed, stating that it was consensual sex, and won. The court ruled that women’s jeans are hard to take off without the help of the owner.
Once the public found out the reasoning for which the court had decided to shorten sentencing, women wore jeans in front of the Italian Parliament as a sign of protest.
The news spread to the United States. The state of California organized the first Denim Day in Los Angeles in 1999. Since then, April 26 has been marked a day to show support for sexual assault survivors.
The BYU-I Wellness Center and the HOPE council want students to be informed about sexual assault and the resources that are available for students.