Baylor Broadcast Writing & Reporting

By Tierra Varela
Spring 2026

WACO, TEXAS — Baylor marked Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April with a series of campus events focused on consent, survivor support and prevention.

From the Farmers Market on Fountain Mall Lawn to The Recipe for Consent at Moody Memorial Library, the programming was designed to connect students with resources in approachable, familiar settings.

Baylor’s 2026 SAAM schedule also included Light the Night/Campus Lit for SAAM on April 21 and Empowerment Journey & Denim Day on April 29.

At the Farmers Market, students picked up fresh produce and succulents while also learning more about Baylor’s Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office. In interview responses prepared for this story, Valerie Willis, Baylor’s Education & Prevention Manager, said the goal was to create “a welcoming, low-pressure space where students could engage with
prevention resources as part of their everyday campus life,” adding that the succulents were chosen as a symbol of resilience, growth, and healing.

That same approach carried into The Recipe for Consent; an interactive event held at Moody Library in partnership with the Baylor University Police Department. Willis said the event helped students understand that consent must be active, enthusiastic and changeable, while also giving them practical tools they could use in real life.

She added that making these conversations approachable matters because “the conversations that change culture are the ones students actually have.”

The month’s message remained visible later in April when Rosenbalm Fountain, Pat Neff Hall and the Hurd Welcome Center were lit teal for Light the Night, followed by Empowerment Journey & Denim Day at the Baylor Sciences Building.

According to Baylor, Denim Day is part of a national awareness campaign encouraging people to wear denim in support of survivors and to challenge harmful misconceptions about sexual assault.

For Baylor student Emma Falk, that visibility is part of why the events matter.

“I think it matters a lot because there are a lot of students that are too, you know, afraid or embarrassed to speak about their experiences,” Falk said.“And I feel like the fact that our college is making an effort to hold events like this is very important to survivors to finally feel welcomed and like they can share what they’ve been through.”

Falk also said what stood out to her most was “just the fact that everybody is just so welcoming and kind and honest about everything,” adding that the willingness to openly talk about such a sensitive topic makes the events especially important.

Willis said the work behind Sexual Assault Awareness Month does not end when April does, emphasizing that Baylor’s Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office remains available year-round for prevention, education, reporting, and survivor support.