The Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability is looking for student artists to enter their Denim Day jacket contest. 

Since 1999, Denim Day has been a symbol against destructive attitudes surrounding sexual assault victim-blaming. A part of OSAA, the CARE team is getting involved with the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault (LAFASA) Banquet for the first time through this contest. 

The Assistant Director of OSAA, Antoinette Alack, explained that the CARE team is always looking for opportunities to spread their partnerships with the community and continue the message of sexual assault prevention.  

“The Southeastern CARE team is proactive in partnering with community coalitions and foundations to further promote the advancement of sexual assault prevention and we are always looking for ways to get students involved in that support as well,” Alack said.  

The banquet was a way to get SLU students involved while still keeping up with the CARE team’s values. 

LAFASA holds a Denim Day fundraiser every year to support survivors and even offers support services, such as a confidential helpline. Tickets are currently being sold for the banquet’s date, April 27, and people attending can eat at the buffet, get a swag bag, drinks and more after purchasing a ticket. 

Alack said she wants student artists to have this opportunity not only to share their art, but also to garner more support for LAFASA. 

“This is a great opportunity for a student artist to feature their artwork and to have banquet participants bid on their design not to mention having someone wearing their design– how cool is that! Many of these designs have even contributed to bidding wars and brought great support to LaFASA’s support and mission,” Alack stated. 

The way this contest works is a student will submit a draft of their design through a JotForm by March 29; the design can be hand-drawn or uploaded. 

The specifications for the design state that there should be a Southeastern reference involved whether it be green or gold, a picture of Roomie or another form of SLU pride. All of the submitted designs will be judged by selected SGA students; One design will be chosen for the Denim Day Jacket on March 30. 

The winner will be notified the first week of April and will receive a jean jacket onto which they’ll paint their design. Artists have to supply their own mediums such as paint, brushes and other materials. The turn in date for the painted jacket will be no later than April 25 and should be given to OSAA’s office in Mims Hall 207. 

The winner will also be featured in The Lion’s Roar with their jacket design and will be credited as the artist when it is bidded on at the LAFASA banquet. 

With April being Sexual Assault Awareness month, Alack added that the CARE team has a couple of events planned. 

There will be a Denim Day event on April 27 near Starbucks on campus called “Wag That Swag” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students will be allowed to bring their dogs dressed in denim, as long as they have their vaccinations and are friendly to others. Food and stickers will also be provided. 

When it comes to sexual assault prevention, Alack wants students to know that there are resources on campus ready to help. 

Alack noted, “Southeastern CAREs about you. Your safety matters and you should have fun without fear, but to do so you must educate yourself and be proactive with your safety. Always know that you can reach out to us for assistance and to learn more about where to report encounters or just want someone to talk to, please reach out to one of our campus resources. Become familiar with our Title IX office and become more familiar with your student rights and policies by viewing the Student Handbook at southeastern.edu/studenthandbook.” 

To find out more about the Denim Day jacket contest, check out the CARE team’s Instagram @southeasterncare where they have a QR code for the link and also the link to the JotForm at https://www.jotform.com/form/220685684466165.