RAD classes offer safety tips for women
Nicole Kelly
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Features
Imagine if a female student was walking from the library to her dorm all alone one night and an attacker came up from behind and grabbed her. Most women would try to fight, but wouldn't really know what to do, but St. Ambrose offers a class that is trying to empower these women and give them the tools to fight back.
RAD, or Rape Aggression Defense, is a class designed to teach women about awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and risk avoidance while giving them basic moves to defend themselves.
The class was brought to St. Ambrose in 1993 by former Director of Security, Don Challis. It was first offered as a community class that everyone could take, even non-students, but now that it is offered for credit as part of the kinesiology program it is no longer open to the general public.
Each instructor must take 30 hours of training in the classroom and in physical training in order to be certified. Robert Christopher, Calvin Cooper, and Michelle Voelkers teach the class all together now.
"It is important to have more than one teacher because we do a lot of demonstrations," Voelkers said. "It might make the students uncomfortable to do the demonstrations on them."
Voelkers believes it is important that Ambrose offers the class because it gives a lot of general safety tips along with the rape defense information. She thinks taking the class really decreases students' chances of being a victim.
"It teaches the women to trust their instincts and be more alert," Voelkers said.
In the class the students are required to write two papers to go along with their training. The first is on the myths of rape and how they feel these myths affect womens' lives, and the second is toward the end of the course and it asks the students to reflect on what they have learned and discuss how it has changed their lives and way of thinking.
"I find most of the students saying they feel more empowered," Voelkers said. "They are more aware of their surroundings and they have learned to open their eyes more."
After taking the class students seem to have more confidence, and walking with confidence is a great deterrent from predators. There is no need to be in perfect physical shape to take the class either. It is about teaching students to adapt and use what they already know.
"We want to give them as many tools in their toolbox as possible," Voelkers said. "But we always hope they never have to use what we teach them."
RAD is offered next semester as Kineseology 125 M and it is for women only. It is from 6:35 to 8:35 on Tuesday evenings in Lee Lohman. It's a one credit class and it's only half a semester long. There is still some availability for the upcoming semester. It is offered every semester.
RAD, or Rape Aggression Defense, is a class designed to teach women about awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and risk avoidance while giving them basic moves to defend themselves.
The class was brought to St. Ambrose in 1993 by former Director of Security, Don Challis. It was first offered as a community class that everyone could take, even non-students, but now that it is offered for credit as part of the kinesiology program it is no longer open to the general public.
Each instructor must take 30 hours of training in the classroom and in physical training in order to be certified. Robert Christopher, Calvin Cooper, and Michelle Voelkers teach the class all together now.
"It is important to have more than one teacher because we do a lot of demonstrations," Voelkers said. "It might make the students uncomfortable to do the demonstrations on them."
Voelkers believes it is important that Ambrose offers the class because it gives a lot of general safety tips along with the rape defense information. She thinks taking the class really decreases students' chances of being a victim.
"It teaches the women to trust their instincts and be more alert," Voelkers said.
In the class the students are required to write two papers to go along with their training. The first is on the myths of rape and how they feel these myths affect womens' lives, and the second is toward the end of the course and it asks the students to reflect on what they have learned and discuss how it has changed their lives and way of thinking.
"I find most of the students saying they feel more empowered," Voelkers said. "They are more aware of their surroundings and they have learned to open their eyes more."
After taking the class students seem to have more confidence, and walking with confidence is a great deterrent from predators. There is no need to be in perfect physical shape to take the class either. It is about teaching students to adapt and use what they already know.
"We want to give them as many tools in their toolbox as possible," Voelkers said. "But we always hope they never have to use what we teach them."
RAD is offered next semester as Kineseology 125 M and it is for women only. It is from 6:35 to 8:35 on Tuesday evenings in Lee Lohman. It's a one credit class and it's only half a semester long. There is still some availability for the upcoming semester. It is offered every semester.
Be the first to comment on this story