Anyone reading the personal ads lately might have noticed some startling facts about rape—facts such as one of every six women is raped or sexually assaulted before the age of 24 or one out of every five boys is sexually assaulted by the age of 18.

The group responsible for getting this information to NIU students is Students Organized Against Rape (SOAR). The group, barely more than a year old, is a partnership of male and female NIU students committed to reducing the incidence of sexual assault through education.

SOAR has peer educators of rape, volunteers screened and trained by a psychologist with NIU’s Counseling and Student Development Center and workshops which focus on dating, sexuality, communication and the connection these dynamics have with sexual assault.

The group also is trained through a class in the department of educational psychology, counseling and special education. The class is only offered during spring semester.

Students in the communication department set up a table in Cole Hall Thursday to pass out information sponsored by SOAR. The goal of these students was to promote awareness of sexual assault and rape to the students of NIU.

“We have gotten a huge response from students because most students don’t realize what a prevalent problem rape is at NIU,” said Janet Seariano, a senior corporate communications major.

NIU student Jason Cuelbar, a senior corporate communications major, said, “We wanted to promote SOAR while creating awareness of what rape is and how to prevent it from happening.”

Patrick Bojanowski, a senior corporate communications major, said men also need to be aware of the problem. “A lot of men came up to the table today, but many of them felt it wasn’t their problem. It affects them from all sides,” he said.

SOAR stresses that simply because a woman reports a rape does not mean she has to prosecute. It is as important for women to get the help they need as it is to report crimes.

Jeff Curio, a senior corporate communications major, said he has learned a lot about rape. “Since I’m in a fraternity, I try to get the message across to the other members that nothing less than total respect is wrong.”

Anyone in need of help or looking for more information can call the NIU Counseling and Student Development Center at 753-1206.