Mississippi State University’s Department of Health Promotion and Wellness is hosting this year’s Clothesline Project beginning today. 

The Longest Student Health Center, along with the university’s Student Counseling Services Sexual Assault Response Team and other campus organizations, will provide information about sexual consent and inform women and men on the importance of reporting sexual assault cases. 

The event’s purpose is to allow college students to become aware about the essentials of seeking help and support for themselves and others who suffer from sexual assault.

Heath Hollingsworth, MSU’s sergeant, said the MSU police take assault as a very serious offense. 

“We respond and do whatever we possibly can for a sexual assault call,” Hollingsworth said. “We are also in direct contact with the Student Counseling Services, which offers the victim help while we deal with the criminal side.” 

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics,  80-90 percent of victims of sexual assaults that occur on campuses, know their      attacker. Officer Hollingsworth, who began his career in law enforcement in 1992, stressed the importance of campus safety and the services that are offered to all students to help protect them.

“Bully patrol offers students a walking escort from 8p.m. -2a.m. Students can contact Bully Patrol to escort them from one dorm to the next or even to their car,” he said.

In 2008, The Campus Sexual Assault Study, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, reported freshmen and sophomores are at greater risk for victimization than juniors and seniors.

Freshmen at MSU are required to live on campus, therefore, this project will offer many resources for them to utilize in case of an emergency.

Debbie Zepeda, a graduate student in engineering who visited the exhibit last year, said she thinks the shirts make an impact on the entire student body. 

“There were so many shirts filled with words of encouragement and inspiration,” Zepeda said. “I believe it opened the eyes for many people to see that so many people suffer from sexual assault every day.”

Each T-shirt is decorated by people who have survived sexual abuse, loved ones of those victimized and in memory of those who lost their lives to sexual assault. 

The multi-colored T-shirt display is a step forward in the healing process for those who suffer from the pain of sexual violence by letting them know their voices are still heard. The project that began with only 100 T-shirts has impacted the student body over the years. 

The event, held on the Drill Field, will remain through Thursday from 9a.m. – 3p.m. each day. The event is free for anyone who would like to attend.