New Mexico State University’s Panhellenic Association hosted an event Sept. 24, sharing ways for female students to stay safe and mitigate risk on and off campus.
The event, put together by the association overseeing each sorority chapter on campus, brought out a crowd of young women to learn ways to avoid harm and defend themselves. Mackenzie Dosher, vice president of risk management for the Panhellenic, shared that these types of events occur once a semester.
“I wanted to host something different for sororities this year because typically, in the past, it’s more based off of alcohol and substance abuse in general,” Dosher said. “So I wanted to do something different, especially because last year, in general, there was a lot more sexual assaults on campus.”
Dasani Martinez, president of the association, said the support from advisors, in relation to the event and beyond, helps to coordinate events like this.
“We just got a new advisor in, which is great, and our previous advisors have always been phenomenal, so it’s always cool to see them step up to play for us and also give us the freedom to do it ourselves as adults,” Martinez said.
In addition to NMSU’s recent mandated sexual assault training, the association brought the importance of student’s safety, specifically women’s, a step farther with their presentation.
Tami Lara, a presenter during the event, is a retired Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer and former lead instructor of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
Her presentation included tips on maintaining situational awareness, utilizing campus safety resources, the types of attack strategies students may encounter, and many more. She shared how events like these help students.
“I taught a domestic violence class to one of our students…and we talked about coercion,” Lara said. “Like, if you’re feeling pressured to have sex, or something like that, after somebody has been violent or physical with you, and you give in because you’re fearful…we can use that as a prosecution tool. And she was able to go back to her tribe and successfully prosecute a domestic violence abuser, not only with domestic violence, but with rape as well.”
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, almost 1 in 4 undergraduate women experienced sexual assault or misconduct at 33 of the nation’s major universities. Among all students, 41.8% reported experiencing at least one sexual harassing behavior since enrollment.
With numbers refusing to wane, it is important for students to be able to defend themselves if needed.
“If I could give all the girls in here advice, it would be enroll in self-defense classes,” Lara said. “Because learning is not enough… and the more information, skills, practice you have, the more proficient you become at that muscle memory. And then chances increase twofold that you’re going to be able to survive that encounter.”
As conversations about campus safety grow, the association’s event signals a continued effort to provide female students with practical tools and education. Lara included that with enough interest, future workshops may expand to include hands on self-defense training.
By continuing to open conversations around prevention and preparedness, the association is pushing NMSU toward the bigger goal of a safer campus.
![NMSU Dream Team Organizers [from left to right] Jovanny (he/him/el), Alberto (he/him/el), and Sarai (she/her/elle).](https://nmsuroundup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Image-1.jpeg)
