April Blog Post #1

Hey guys,
Since the speaker for the senior retreat was finalized, I have been researching methods to further engage my community in the cause of my signature project. Thus, I have come up with an idea to discuss the critical topics that are key to my project through novels. I have spent time reading novels to determine which would best fit my particular purpose, and I found a great novel called The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith.
I will be sending out an email to my school in the near future after developing some key questions for group discussions that will be held during the school day.
Here is a brief thread about my experience reading the novel.

In the United States, every 8 minutes, a child is sexually assaulted. This reality may be difficult to acknowledge and take action upon through simple statistics. However, through personal narratives, like Eden’s story in The Way I Used to Be, I could much better comprehend the extent to which sexual assaults can shape an individual perception of life. Thus, this novel by Amber Smith furthered my ambition to advocate against sexual assault on school campuses.

The Way I Used to Be is a work of fiction. However, this does not discredit its value in the realm of sexual assault advocacy, as it deals with true matters that can be related to by many survivors of sexual assault. Eden’s experience realistically depicts the harsh truth. There are many sexually assaulted victims that are suffering due to the mental, emotional, and physical aftermath of the assault. Furthermore, this time-dependent matter worsens as the victim is often denied of trust and rapid response.

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