FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2006
Public's contact for publication:
Kelly Franzone
Assistant Director/Personal Counselor
Center for Counseling, Coaching and Consulting
(757) 594-7047
kfranzon@cnu.edu
Media contact:
Karen L. Gill
karen.gill@cnu.edu
(757) 594-8428
Take Back the Night March and Rally at CNU
HAMPTON, VA – Rape is the most common violent crime on American college campuses today.
Women ages 16 to 24 experience rape at a rate four times higher than the assault rate of all women. College women are more at risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women the same age but not in college.
To address the serious problem of physical and sexual violence on Virginia’s college campuses, Christopher Newport University in Newport News is holding its First Annual Take Back the Night Rally and March on April 18th. The event is free and open to the public.
The First Annual CNU Take Back the Night event will be held on Tuesday, April 18th, 2006, beginning at 6:30 PM, on the Great Lawn of CNU’s Newport News Campus. The program will feature musical performances by the Newport Pearls, a raffle, giveaways, free t-shirts, food and beverages donated by CNU Dining Services and Starbucks, and speeches by sexual assault survivors. The rally will culminate with an empowering and unifying student-led candlelight march around campus, beginning at 7:45 PM. In addition, a labyrinth, which is a pathway for making a spiritual journey, will be set up on the Great Lawn. Participants may wish to walk the labyrinth while remembering those who are victims of violence.
Take Back the Night is co-sponsored by these CNU organizations: Police Department, Greek Life, Judicial Affairs/Community Development, United Campus Ministries and the Center for Counseling, Coaching and Consulting. Additional community co-sponsors are Transitions Family Violence Services and the Center for Sexual Assault Survivors.
Take Back the Night is an international rally and march that is organized in local communities with the purpose of unifying women, men, and children in an awareness of violence against women, children and families. The event is a collaboration of community and campus and other interested persons who are ready to take a stand against violence and make the night safe for everyone. Take Back the Night rallies and marches began in England as a protest against the fear that women encountered walking the streets at night. The first Take Back the Night in the United States occurred in San Francisco in 1978.
For more information, contact Kelly Franzone, assistant director/personal counselor, Center for Counseling, Coaching and Consulting, (757) 594-7047 or
kfranzon@cnu.edu
For more information about the national Take Back the Night initiative, visit
http://takebackthenight.org
Christopher Newport University is a four-year public university in Newport News, Virginia. CNU enrolls 4,800 students in programs through its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Luter School of Business and offers great teaching, small classes and an emphasis on leadership, civic engagement and honor. Visit us at
www.cnu.edu
The Center for Sexual Assault Survivors has been a member of the community since 1996. They are dedicated to providing support, treatment and advocacy for persons whose lives have been disrupted by sexual violence. The Center provides group and individual counseling, a 24 hour hotline and educational outreach. For more information on The Center, please call (757) 599-9844 or visit
www.visitthecenter.org |
TTY/TDD: (757)
723-6862
