Students will be standing outside of 12 campus bars Tuesday night, not to socialize or raise money, but instead to create awareness about sexual assault.

Liz Siegel and Jeremy Rose, seniors in LAS, created “Bars on Board” as a part of their involvement as Counseling Center paraprofessionals. Siegel also volunteers at Rape Crisis Services in Champaign, which is co-sponsoring the event.

“What sold us on the idea was that we’re always looking for ways to educate people on our resources and what it is we do, because if people need to access those services, they can,” said Jenn Scott, volunteer coordinator at Rape Crisis Services.

Volunteers from either Rape Crisis Services or the Counseling Center paraprofessional program will be at each of the participating bars from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. distributing teal rubber bracelets that read “stop rape,” magnets and brochures, while also answering students’ questions about sexual assault.

“We felt a lot of students are unaware of what sexual assault is,” Siegel said. “We thought this would be a great venue to reach students.”

Rose said the pair thought reaching students at bars was a good alternative to using the Quad and a way to send its message to a broader audience.

“We want to promote this cause and get the word out as much as possible,” he said. “Even if one person gets information that’s helpful, it was a productive night.”

Rose added that educational campaigns are often organized during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, and this was a good opportunity to raise awareness at a different time of year.

“Sexual assault was something that I felt uninformed about, and the more I learned about it the more I thought others would benefit from that information,” he said.

Scott said part of educating students about sexual assault is changing perceptions.

“The people who commit these acts of violence are the people who are solely responsible for it,” she said. “It’s something that victims are often blamed for.”

Siegel and Rose pointed out that the event is not associated with any specific bar drink specials or fundraiser, and the event does not promote drinking, which can be associated in sexual assaults.

Scott said campaigns to educate the public can help shed light on the myths surrounding the issue.

“The culture at large has an easier time of blaming victims for what’s happening to them,” she said. “People are committing violence against other people. Why should we say that’s OK?”