Students gathered at the Verdugo Plaza to help bring attention to sexual assault awareness and support resources available on campus.

The Associated Students of Glendale Community College hosted a Denim Day event on April 18. The event was held with help from the college health center and the YMCA.

Denim Day is an annual awareness campaign observed each April. It originated from a 1998 Italian Supreme Court case where a rape conviction was overturned partly because the judge believed the victim’s jeans were too tight to remove without cooperation.

Women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans to work in protest, and the campaign has since spread to countries around the world. Daniela Petula, an ASGCC member and one of the volunteers behind the Denim Day event, said the organization wanted every student to feel safe, supported, and represented.

“We want every student to feel supported and safe on campus,” Petula said. “We also want them to feel safe to share things that are going on off campus with us.”

The event included educational activities, art stations, food, and informational materials. Based on ticket check-ins, around 100 students attended throughout the hour-long event, which was scheduled during college hours to make it easier for students between classes to join.

Petula said the program was funded through ASGCC’s own budget with no outside sponsors, and that the organization regularly holds educational programs connected to student resources like CalWORKs and EOPS. She also mentioned that ASGCC works to support both traditional and non-traditional students, including immigrant students.

“Our main goal is to bring awareness about this specific aspect that many people might feel ashamed or stigmatized to share,” Petula said. “It is very important for our community to support each other.”

Petula encouraged students to get more involved with ASGCC. She also gave recognition to Isabella Verdia, Vice President of Activities at ASGCC, and the activities committee for helping organize the event.