Story by Elizabeth Erwin, Contributing Writer

Photos by Kalea Anderson/The News

Outfits worn by sexual assault victims at the time of their assault are on display in a new exhibit at Waterfield Library.

The exhibit titled “What Were You Wearing?” was created by Advocacy for Respect Culture, a new student organization associated with the Purchase Area Sexual Assault and Child Advocacy Center.

The clothing on display ranges in style and origin, representing stories from 10 different countries. Emily Greene, junior from Paducah, Kentucky, is the vice president of Advocacy for Respect Culture.

“The purpose of this exhibit is to create a culture of respect and also break down the stigma of ‘they were asking for it’ when it comes to sexual assaults,” Greene said. “We wanted to do this in order to create an environment where survivors and supporters can come together to understand one another and create change.”

“What Were You Wearing?” comes in time for April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The theme for this year is “Embrace Your Voice,” according to the National Sexual Assault Resource Center website.

“I think that this exhibit illustrates embracing your voice, because it emphasizes the diversity and beauty of multiple countries,” Greene said. “We all have different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. Therefore, we all have unique voices, all of which deserve to be heard.”

Although similar exhibits have been displayed at other universities, the decision to focus on sexual assault from an international perspective is specific to the exhibit at Murray State. According to information at the entrance of the exhibit, this decision was inspired by the results of a survey taken by international students studying at Murray State.

The survey asked students, “Do you know what sexual assault is?”

Thirty percent of those surveyed responded no.

However, when the survey asked if they were interested in knowing about the resources available to them, Greene said 100 percent responded yes.

“Going back again to the purpose of this exhibit, we wanted to create a culture of respect and get the whole Murray State community involved in making a change, regardless of where each individual comes from,”Greene said.

Going forward, Greene hopes to have all of the sexual assault resources translated into the different languages of international students here at Murray State.

“This is a world-wide problem, and nothing is going to change until we start breaking down the walls of victim blaming and fear that prevent us from talking about it,” Greene said.

The exhibit is on display in Waterfield until April 20.