About 40 students gathered Friday to discuss the difference between what should be considered sexy and what sexism is, but the event's attention focused on many other issues.
These issues included eating disorders, rape, molestation, family roles in sexual awareness, safety surrounding alcohol consumption, college campus safety and the deterioration of self-esteem through sexual abuse.
"I thought it (the workshop) was supposed to be about sexy verses sexism," sophomore Jessica Vacketta said. "Everything we were shown was not in context."
The workshop included discussion about advertisements where a woman, sometimes alone or with men, was depicted. The group was asked to place the advertisement on a continuum from "least harmful" to "most harmful."
Not all students felt there was a sense of sexism in some of the ads.
One of the controversies among the group was sparked by an ad with a copper-toned naked woman holding a bottle of perfume over her chest with a rolling desert in the background.
"In art, a naked woman is used in statues. That's art," junior Karen Oliver said. "I think it's important to use art in advertisements."
Another part of the program included an exercise where a given statement would be presented and then posted on the scale-of-harm board. The group of students held many different opinions on the statement that read "Telling a woman never to go out alone in order to prevent sexual assault."
Some students felt this statement limited the capabilities of women.
"I think it's important to give people options, give them something they can work with," senior Jennifer Striglio said. "I think there is too much caution."
This has been the eighth year that the Sexual Assault Prevention Outreach Team and Counseling and Health Services has held the week of events.
"I think the main goal is for people to open their minds and hear different perspectives," workshop presenter Melissa Bullard said.
In 2000, Ball State reported no murders, one forcible sex offense, no non-forcible sex offenses, no robberies, no aggravated assaults, four motor vehicle thefts, no negligent manslaughter, 32 burglaries, eight arson incidents, 81 liquor violations, 68 drug law violations and one weapon violation.
"I would say it's extremely important that students participate," criminology professor Dr. Jill D'Angelo said. "I think there needs to be action following in the class, all instructors should discuss it (sexual assault awareness) to distinguish what is acceptable and what is unacceptable behavior."
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