Over 75 students, staff, and administrators attended Safe Space's fourth annual Speak Out, an event intended to create a confidential and supportive atmosphere for survivors of sexual assault to share their stories.
Tuesday's Speak Out was held as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
"To speak and tell your story can be a really healing experience," said co-organizer Emily Coffin '08.
After a brief introduction by Safe Space leaders, an invitation was extended to audience members to share their stories.
"It's a space that becomes very reflective," said Safe Space member Carrie Miller '08 of the Speak Out. "Time slows and [normal student worries] don't really matter [at the event]."
"At Speak Out it's much more important than what time you get to class or when you get your work done," Miller added.
Coffin and co-organizer Liz Leiwant '08 both said that in their years of attending the event, many of the people who spoke did not come intending to do so.
Coffin and Leiwant also said they see progress in the increasing number of Safe Space members, from six their first year to over 100 now.
However, "we still have a long way to go," Leiwant said.
In addition to sponsoring the Speak Out, Safe Space also strove to raise awareness on the issue of sexual assault in other ways throughout the week.
On Monday, Safe Space tied balloons to one out of every four chairs in Thorne to reflect the national statistic that one in four women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.
On Wednesday, there was a forum to complement Tuesday's Speak Out and give survivors and others a chance to weigh-in on changes in Bowdoin's policy for reporting sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
Changes in the reporting procedure include revamping the anonymous support forms, found online, to make them easier to fill out and more sympathetic.
"There is such shame, especially at Bowdoin" because it is such a small community, said Coffin.
Also, a new distinction in the definitions of sexual misconduct, harming without the intent to harm, and sexual assault, which is more malicious, according to forum coordinator and Safe Space member Millan AbiNader '10, changes the reporting process by leaving "more room for misinterpretation."
"Bowdoin, like everywhere else in the world, has underreported sexual assault," said AbiNader. The forum considered the pros and cons of the reporting process and what steps can be taken to make Bowdoin safer.
Another component of Sexual Assault Awareness month included Thursday's Red Shirt Day, an opportunity for those who have been affected by sexual assault or know someone else who has to show solidarity by wearing that color. Safe Space will also be giving students a chance to make a quilt expressing their reaction to the issue of sexual assault on campus that will be added to a larger quilt.
Additionally, Safe Space will be embarking on a "consent is sexy" campaign that will focus on the "more positive aspect of consent," according to Coffin. The group will pass out stickers and condoms bearing the words, "Got consent?"