With all the excitement of moving to campus, meeting new people and having new experiences, freshmen may forget that college life is not all fun and games.

It’s easy for a freshman girl to blow off a controlling boyfriend as, “He’s just more mature than I am,” or for a freshman guy to think the girl that’s stalking him is just “really into him.”

But these are examples of sexual assault, and many students don’t know how to handle these situations or are aware of them at all. The Catalyst Theatre Company educates incoming freshmen about the forms sexual assault can take and how to react if they happen.

Before the Catalyst Theatre performance, many students said if their friend was in an unhealthy relationship, they would try to get them help. The Catalyst Theater taught them how and where to seek it.

“It opened up a lot of options, so now I know what to do in this area if it ever becomes a problem,” said Jason Herbers, freshman in agricultural engineering.

When asked if their point of view on sexual assault changed after seeing the performance, the students’ reactions were split.

“I was totally against it in the first place,” said Wesley Hutter, freshman in mechanical engineering.

However, Caitlyn Dierks, freshman in animal science, said her perspective changed.

“I always thought it was wrong, but it just more defined on what is wrong and what is right,” she said.

Hutter, Dierks and David Sperling, freshman in electrical engineering, all agreed the Catalyst Theater’s performance would help decrease sexual assault on campus by promoting activism in hazardous situations. The performance covered many issues and struck each person differently.

“I learned a few things about consent and how to be an active bystander,” Sperling said.

Natalie Wingert, freshman in engineering, said she learned more about general issues on campus.

Students said the group did a good job addressing a sensitive issue.

“They’re doing a good thing and it’s going to help out,” said Paul Gaylord, freshman in mechanical engineering.