Starting Jan. 18, Eastern Michigan University will be hosting a Rape Aggression Self-Defense(RAD) class run by the Department of Public Safety(DPS).
To make the class more accessible to those wanting to participate, EMU’s Student Government has subsidized the class. Aiming to create a safe and comfortable space for learning, this class will be available to female-identifying and nonbinary students and community members, aged 16 and up.
Community Engagement Officer, Cathy Wilman, will be leading the course alongside five other instructors. Over the course’s six-week period, participants can expect to engage in discussion around risk reduction and awareness, avoidance, prevention, survival signals, red flag indicators, being alert and knowing what to look out for, as well as hands-on self-defense techniques, and when to properly implement these strategies. The vast majority of the class will consist of hands-on self-defense techniques.
"It’s all about doing so in an effective way and to build confidence in the ability to do so,” Wilman said. "The goal is not necessarily to win, the goal is to escape, and effectively employ survival techniques.”
Participants will also have the option to simulate real-life scenarios with instructors, where they can suit up in protective gear and problem-solve in a safe and informational setting.
"The goal of the class is to primarily defend against sexual assault,” Wilman said. "I think it’s important to have everywhere, especially college campuses."
In the 2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct, it was found that one in four women reported having experienced some sort of sexual assault or misconduct while they were pursuing their undergraduate degrees. Offering this class here at EMU provides students with the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge to better defend themselves against such situations.
Read More: Domestic, sexual violence top EMU's annual crime report
Estelle Hackos of EMU’s Student Government said, "The goal was to fund enough so students didn’t have to worry,” in reference to the Student Government’s decision to subsidize the class cost, noting that “there wasn’t much pushback at all” in the decision to make the class more accessible to students.
A senior student at EMU, Karen Engelhuber, expressed concerns about current day-to-day life on campus.
"Every single time I’ve had a night class, I was concerned about my safety and ability to protect myself,” Engelhuber said. "It’s a mission to walk back to my car as fast as I can. I carry pepper spray and know some tricks like how to carry my keys, but I still don’t feel like I’d be able to protect myself."
While the course doesn’t fit into her current schedule, she expressed appreciation and interest in the class.
"I feel like if I knew how to protect myself effectively and safely, that I would feel a lot safer walking on campus in general," Engelhuber said. "Even though EMU has resources like SEEUS(Student Eyes and Ears for University Safety), I feel like I would benefit more from a self-defense class than any other resource."
She also expressed gratitude for the Student Government’s decision to subsidize the cost, noting that offering the class on campus and making it more affordable to students makes them feel more supported.
"I fully believe that EMU offering this class is a great foundation to build upon ... I think this class is needed on all college campuses and I hope EMU makes this class more common and frequent,” Engelhuber said.
“The biggest thing I see is that so many people say, 'Oh I should do that!' or, 'Oh I should take a class like that!',” Wilman said. “Do it now. If you’re debating, just do it. Even from the first class, you’re going to learn something important.”
The class will span over six weeks, starting Thursday, Jan. 18. It will take place in McKenny room 330, meeting weekly from 5:30-8:00 p.m. To register visit the RAD billing website, it is available until the day of or until it fills up. Thanks to the support of the Student Government, the class will cost $10 to register.
