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Student writes book to heal
For victims of sexual assault, there will soon be another venue through which to cope and heal using the power of expression. Senior Lisa Seguin is putting together a book called "Beyond Survival: Validation and Healing: A Collection of Works from Sexual Assault Survivors, Family, Friends and Partners of Survivors."
Last year in a class through the speech department, Seguin was assigned to do performance ethnography, which is the re-telling of a personal experience. She had no idea how much that one assignment would change her life.
"It was a very releasing and empowering thing, to discuss a painful memory," she said.
Seguin is not a victim herself, but as a trained sexual assault advocate and a concerned individual that has been affected by loved ones' struggles, she is hoping to educate and empower victims everywhere.
Seguin is conducting this project as a part of her internship at the Women's Center with many goals in mind. First, she wants to raise awareness.
"Most people don't know the magnitude with which it (sexual assault) happens, primarily because it doesn't get talked about," Seguin said. "Through the "Beyond Survival" project, I'm hoping to educate and heal."
According to FBI statistics, one in three women is raped or sexually assaulted in her life, but only one in 10 of those incidents are reported.
"One of our goals is to serve as a healing venue for expression for victims," said Jane Olsen, director of SCSU's Women's Center and 20-year advocate. "It goes in line with talk-therapy."
Most often, rape victims are so embarrassed and horrified with the experience that they simply close up, ultimately doing serious damage to their self-image and mental health.
"Our goal is a simple one, but the creation of this project will prove much more difficult," Olsen said, "for the poems and personal stories submitted will be created out of pain. Lisa's project is creative, innovative and will be beneficial to everyone involved. This will be one more tool to educate the community."
"It is my hope that individuals use this opportunity to become more aware, to validate their experience and to realize that they are not alone," Seguin said.
Seguin is looking for help from anyone who has been personally affected by sexual assault, either as a victim or a secondary survivor � a friend or family member of a victim. Any poetry, short stories, letters or other creative work can be turned into the SCSU Women's Center in Colbert House North. The grey stucco building can be found near the Newman Center, behind Benton Hall.
All submissions are to be made by Tuesday March 19, 2002. Submissions are welcome from men and women alike, from all ages and backgrounds, and contributors need not be St. Cloud State students.
Seguin and Olsen are hoping to gain permission from all contributors to mass-produce the collection so that "Beyond Survival" can be sold at such places as the Take Back the Night Rally on May 3, the Women's Shelter and Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center.
Jennifer Oakes can be reached at: [email protected]
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