By Lydia Weiss
Special for The State News
About 20 voices echoed through the Union Ballroom Saturday night. As the voices shouted in unison, only one word was heard - "no."
Shouting assertively can give a person more confidence to ward off an attack, said instructors at the University Activities Board's self-defense class "Watch Your Back." Facilitators said the voice can be the strongest weapon in self-defense.
UAB members said they organized the event because of the 11 reported sexual assaults on campus last semester.
"We wanted to make sure people are still aware," said Sveta Desai, the UAB representative who organized the event. Desai said the group wanted to stress the importance of self-defense.
Medical technology senior Julie Hoffman said the assaults brought the need for self-defense to light on campus.
"I think the more education on self-defense, the better," she said. "There is so much fear on campus. The only way to help yourself is to learn."
The seminar attracted a diverse group of people from the area. Women and men, including an MSU professor, were in attendance. Desai said it's not only important for women to learn self-defense, but for men to be educated as well.
"Assaults happen to anyone, not just women. Prevention is important," Desai said.
Lansing Community College student Doug Bonnett said he came to the event because learning self-defense can be helpful for anyone.
"From the male perspective it is important because it increases confidence. I think it's a little less likely for sexual assaults, but it's equally as important to know self-defense because there's a lot of aggression out there," he said.
Rosina Hassoun, an Interdisciplinary studies in social science professor who also teaches at Lansing Community College, said she went to the workshop because of the murder of LCC Professor Carolyn Kronenberg. Kronenberg was murdered on LCC's campus Sunday morning.
"I just keep thinking of her and how helpless she was," Hassoun said. "No one else was around and she was attacked in a really vulnerable place."
Defensive moves were taught by nine student facilitators and instructor Jane Nelson from MSU's Self-Defense for Women program, who were asked by UAB to host the event. Facilitators for the program give two-hour seminars to different campus groups.
"Self-Defense for Women focuses on the philosophy of self-defense," Nelson said. "We don't pretend to teach how to win a fight, but teach a means of buying enough time to get to safety."
The workshop covered a range of defensive strategies ,including kicks, strikes, ground fighting and situational defenses. Facilitators also gave general advice to participants on how to ward off assailants, such as displaying assertiveness in order to catch the assailant off guard.
Shields were used to give the participants a better feel for being in the situation.
"We practice on shields because you can feel the resistance and can really gauge the power," said facilitator Kristy Stites, a kinesiology junior.
Participants were paired up to practice ground defenses - moves used to free a person from an assailant who has pinned them to the ground. Facilitators said the techniques are especially useful in situations of rape.
After the instruction and a question-and-answer session ended, the ballroom was still filled with energy, Nelson said.
"After the training, everyone is usually energized," she said. "They come in quiet and shy and don't participate with questions. But we get them moving, excited and energized. They feel empowered and that's what this program is for."
Hassoun explained her feelings after the training to one of the facilitators.
"I feel more comfortable doing things I was always afraid of doing," she said. "I feel empowered. I think every woman has the nightmare of being attacked and now I know I can actually get out of the situation."
