20120419web

BY KRISTA M. TORRALVA The Shorthorn senior staff Dozens of little red flags in the grass of the Central Library mall wave in the wind. Among them are signs. Freshmen Mercedes Silver and Kiriakis Newman passed by on their way to class Wednesday. A sign... More

BY KRISTA M. TORRALVA The Shorthorn senior staff Dozens of little red flags in the grass of the Central Library mall wave in the wind. Among them are signs. Freshmen Mercedes Silver and Kiriakis Newman passed by on their way to class Wednesday. A sign showing a man holding a red flag that read, “She isn’t returning my texts. I know where she lives,” caught Silver’s eye. The flags and signs, called the Red Flag Campaign, are a part of the Relationship Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention program’s outreach events to promote Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Red Flag Campaign is a national public awareness campaign to specifically address dating violence on college campuses. Charity Stutzman, the coordinator for the program, said the flags are designed to generate conversation about sexual assaults and dating violence. According to the Red Flag Campaign website, in 21 percent of college relationships, one partner is abused. “I know it happens. I didn’t know it happens that Less