Lander University students, faculty and staff stood firmly against acts of sexual violence on college campuses and around the world by celebrating Denim Day on Wednesday, April 24.
Part of a larger international movement, Denim Day is held every April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. For the past 20 years, participants around the world have worn denim in protest of a rape conviction that was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court after justices found that, by wearing tight-fitting jeans, the victim had to have helped the perpetrator remove her pants, and therefore implied consent.
Lander's observance of Denim Day included several educational activities for members of Lander's campus community, and concluded with a denim fashion show on the Assembly Plaza. The event was organized by Lander's Division of Student Affairs, and several members of the Lander staff were seen wearing jeans to work, including the Lander University Police Department, and Vice President for Student Affairs Boyd Yarbrough.
Students also utilized social media to show their support for Denim Day, with several student groups and campus organizations tagging their online photos with #LUDenimDay. "Denim Day was an amazing experience," said Matthew Burack, a sophomore business major from Myrtle Beach and member of the Denim Day Committee. "Our festivities brought unity within the whole student body and showed love that the students of Lander have for one another."