The phrase “fight like a girl” took on a new meaning on Nov. 19 as students gathered together in the End Zone for an important lesson in self-defense.

“Kicking Butt: The Female Way” was a workshop designed and executed by several public relations students as a class project.

Led by Dr. Natalie Redcross,of the mass communications department, the Publicity Campaigns course teaches students how to research, organize and carry out large-scale events.

The class culminates with each student taking part in the development of a campus-wide program at the end of the semester.

Inspired by the personal experiences of students affected by such tragedies, the workshop aimed to inform the largely female audience on how to prevent and defend yourself against an attack or sexual assault.

According to the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, roughly 1 in 4 college women will be the victim of sexual assault during her academic career.

Unfortunately, the problem is quite prevalent on college campuses and within college culture.

However, the risk for victimization is not reserved solely for females.

Males could also be potential targets for violence.

“You could all be a victim of any type of assault,” said junior Maura Clark in the presentation.

Anyone is at risk of being in danger, yet not many people are aware of the steps to take to be prepared for these situations.

“Many of us probably wonder, ‘Why haven’t I taken a self-defense class?’” said Clark.

Some women may be hesitant to take self-defense courses for a number of reasons, which can be a significant obstacle to safety.

They may be uncomfortable, they may think it’s not lady-like or they may have fear and bad memories associated with a past experience.

But, as was emphasized time and time again at the program, everyone and anyone can be the victim of assault, so it is necessary to take the proper steps to keep safe on campus and beyond.

To demonstrate effective defense techniques, the program brought in special guests from the Iona College Karate Club and Hong-Ik Martial Arts in New Rochelle.

The Karate Club focused their discussion on the benefits of training in self-defense and offered some helpful tips for staying safe in potentially dangerous situations.

“Never go looking for a fight,” said Karate Club president and senior, Elissa Levy. “Avoiding the situation is the best form of self-defense.”

Other practical advice relating to campus safety included traveling in groups, having cell phones handy, knowing your surroundings, being alert and being prepared.

One element of being prepared may involve taking some formal self-defense classes, such as those offered by Hong-Ik Martial Arts.

Master Shinmin and his assistant were present at the event to demonstrate the various physical techniques that could be used to ward off an attack.

The demonstrations ranged from evasion techniques to more forceful methods of resistance such as punching and kicking.

However, the most important lesson that the instructors wanted the audience to take away from the demonstration was not the techniques themselves, but the discipline.

“You must practice to get the techniques down,” said Master Shinmin.

After all, practice makes perfect.

If you are aware of the necessary steps needed to resist an attack before it occurs, you will be much more likely to remain calm and effectively react to the situation in real life.

There are also many campus safety resources that students should keep in mind in the event of an emergency.

Blue emergency intercoms are located throughout campus and can initiate communication with security if a student feels endangered or observes suspicious activity while walking on campus.

Also, as always in the event of an emergency, the best option is to call 911.

If you find yourself to be the victim of assault, take the first opportunity once you are out of the situation to notify the authorities and file a report.

Finally, in the aftermath of an attack, emotional support and counseling services can be found at the Iona College Counseling Center.

With these resources at hand, the hope is that Iona students will be better prepared for future emergencies.