ANJALI DALAL-WHELAN / FEATURE EDITOR 

Trigger warning: This article discusses topics of sexual violence and assault. 

After coming forward with their stories, many survivors of sexual violence have been met with the question, “What Were You Wearing?” To counteract the myth  that sexual assault has anything to do  with   clothing, the “What  Were You  Wearing?” exhibit in the SLP art gallery features  stories from  real survivors,  accompanied  by clothing that represents   their   story.  The clothing hanging   in the exhibit ranges   from formal dresses   to school uniforms, hoodies and swimsuits — demonstrating how sexual assault is never caused by what someone is wearing. 

As April, Sexual Assault Awarness Month (SAAM), comes to a close, the “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit highlights the importance of discussing sexual violence. The project, which is on display from April 22 to May 1, was created by USD senior Yesika Menera  and USD junior Keira Boley, co-leads for USD’s Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP) program. Menera and Boley gained inspiration for the exhibit from similar installations that they had seen on the internet. Manera read a story online from a survivor who was assaulted on her wedding day, which became the catalyst to bring the concept to life. 

Manera explained the initial process of creating the exhibit. 

“Once  I saw [the wedding story], I was like, ‘Okay, Keira, we really need to put this together,’” Manera said.  “And  so  we looked up various different stories. And in reality, truth speaking,  it was harder to find  men’s    stories than women’s      stories,  and we found a lot of  kids’ stories.  And that was  really  heartbreaking, too. So, making this exhibit happen was really hard, too, because, I mean, just for  walking  around, you can feel the tension, you can  feel the pain that people experienced during this.” 

After finding a variety of accounts from sexual violence survivors    online,   Manera and Boley gathered the clothing that they needed to represent the stories. Most of the clothing was donated from their co-workers and peers. They tried to match the clothing to the stories, including the size and style that the survivor was wearing at the time. 

Boley emphasized why it was important to her to include a diversity of ages, genders and experiences in the exhibit. 

“Part of the point of ‘What Were You Wearing?’ is [that] it can happen to anyone, and survivors of sexual violence aren’t in any way responsible  to what happened to them,” Boley shared. “It, again, can happen to anyone.”

The exhibit has reached students outside of the RSVP community. USD junior Gabbie Arellano went to the exhibit and shared her takeaways. 

“I thought  the  exhibit   was  very heavy  and  powerful,” Arellano said. “There   is   a very large presence of community and support for survivors which is very touching, but I   like how the exhibit doesn’t sugar coat the actuality of the content. Seeing the outfits and the quotes is very sad, but so important … One that really stood out to me was the older man in the nursing home. The experience is tragic.” 

As a last minute addition to the exhibit, Boley and Menera created a reflection wall with markers so that visitors of the exhibit could share their thoughts and messages to survivors. 

Menera     shared   that this wall has become one of the most important     parts of the    exhibit  to her. 

“People have really beautiful words, and it’s brought me to tears that   there   is hope in humanity at the end of the day … Survivors: You’re believed, you’re loved  and you have support from us,” Menera said. 

Many visitors took the chance to write heartfelt messages in the multicolored markers. 

“The room is filled with a quiet strength, stories are powerful!” one visitor wrote. “Thank you for providing this space!” 

In addition to “What Were You Wearing?” the exhibit also holds “the Clothesline Project” and the “RB Teddy Project,” additional art installations meant to spread awareness for SAAM. 

Sarah Diamond, the Associate Director of Prevention and Education at USD emphasized the importance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 

“SAAM can be a time  for healing and   recognizing    that many of us have been or know someone  who has been impacted by sexual violence,” Diamond said. “It can help   shed  light  on this serious form of harm so those impacted by harm know they are not alone. I think there is a lot of power in healing    communities  together,  and SAAM  provides   that opportunity.”

Diamond     also   shared resources that are available for students who experience sexual violence.   One  option that students have is the confidential CARE Advocate, who is a completely confidential resource who can help students manage their options. They  can be  reached  by calling (619) 260-4655   and asking to speak to the Confidential CARE Advocate. 

Additionally, USD’s Counseling Center and Pastoral Clergy in University Ministry are confidential resources. In emergencies, students should call the Department  of   Public Safety’s emergency number (619) 260-2222. Sexual violence can also be reported to USD’s Title IX Office through titleix@sandiego.edu. Title IX    and   Public   Safety are   private resources, but not confidential, meaning they will document information shared with them and may  share    it    with  others  as needed. 

The ‘What Were You Wearing’ exhibit in the SLP  art gallery features clothing that represents real stories from sexual violence survivors.  Anjali Dalal-Whelan/The USD Vista