Curling for a cause: Greek groups team up to combat sexual violence

A group of students will be lifting weights in the Pit for a few hours a day until Friday to fight sexual assault on college campuses.

The Alpha Chi Omega sorority and Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity recently partnered to form Curls for the Girls, an organization focused on raising awareness about sexual violence against men and women on college campuses and how to prevent it.

“A lot of times, a lot of Greek organizations kind of use things like 5Ks or cookouts so to speak to pitch their philanthropy,” Alpha Sigma Phi member Tyler Smith said.

“But we kind of wanted to do something a little bit different, a little bit more interactive.”

Smith said lifting weights in the Pit is an easy and inclusive way to educate students.

“(Sexual assault) is prevalent not just ... with girls, but with men as well and the LGBTQ community,” Smith said.

Smith said inclusivity in the discussion of sexual violence is another goal of Curls for the Girls.

“The name Curls for the Girls — it rhymed. It’s catchy,” Smith said.

“It’s not just for the girls. It’s for men as well, not just for hetero, but for the homosexual community and trans community.”

Smith said lifting weights is a metaphor for the heavy burden sexual assault has put on college campuses. Anybody can participate by lifting weights, and the student who does the most curls at the end of the week will win a free T-shirt.

Curls for the Girls is selling T-shirts to help raise money for the Rape Abuse Incest National Network. Smith said 100 percent of the proceeds go to RAINN, which helps victims of rape, abuse and incest.

Curls for the Girls is encouraging students to sign a pledge to be active bystanders to prevent sexual assault, Smith said.

Organizers are handing out flyers in the Pit with facts about sexual assault and information about campus resources available for sexual assault survivors, such as Counseling and Psychological Services or Campus Health Services.

Eugenie Chen, a member of Alpha Chi Omega, said Curls for the Girls is also partnering with different restaurants in the area. A portion of proceeds from the restaurants on particular nights will go to support RAINN.

Chen said lifting weights can represent the strength of women who have experienced sexual violence.

“We want to advocate women are strong,” Chen said. “They too can come over it and power through.”

Smith said Alpha Chi Omega and Alpha Sigma Phi partnered because both of the organizations’ main philanthropic interests were sexual assault prevention.

First-year Amanda Griffith said she came to lift weights in the Pit because she wanted to support a good cause, and she felt the event was exposing an underrepresented issue.

“I feel like we don’t really talk about those kind of issues, and this is kind of bringing it to light,” Griffith said.

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