Gender Equity Center hosts events to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month | Penn State University

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Domestic Violence Awareness Month at Penn State

During October, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Penn State campus community and community partners are working to raise awareness and to provide opportunities for the University community to engage in prevention efforts and show support for survivors. The national theme for this year is “Heal, Hold & Center.”

“As we heal, hold, and center survivors, especially those navigating anti-Blackness and other systems of oppression, we remain grounded in the knowledge that there is no survivor justice without racial justice,” a representative from the Domestic Violence Awareness Project said.

The Gender Equity Center, a unit in the division of Student Affairs, will be hosting multiple events to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A central mission of the Gender Equity Center is to educate about domestic violence issues, resources to prevent sexual violence, and to support students who have been impacted by sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking, harassment and other campus climate issues.

Upcoming events include:

Clothesline Project T-Shirt Making

Monday, Sept. 30, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., HUB-Robeson Center
Tuesday, Oct. 1, noon–2 p.m., 204-205 Student Health Center

Prepare for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October with t-shirt making sessions for the annual Clothesline Project Displays across campus.

The Clothesline Project is a national movement focused on creating a visual reminder of the impact that power-based personal violence has had on our community, turning statistics into shirts. The movement aims to give a voice to those who have been silenced, sending the message that help is available and there is a path to healing. Everyone in the campus community is encouraged to create a shirt providing words of support for survivors, stories of a personal experience or that of someone close to you, or messages taking a stand against power-based personal violence. We will have various opportunities for participants to stop by our open sessions and make a shirt in support and solidarity with survivors.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Keynote Conversation with Abigail Breslin

Thursday, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m., HUB-Robeson Center Alumni Hall

Join us for a moderated conversation with Academy Award-winning actor Abigail Breslin to mark the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at Penn State. Moderators from the student organizations Greeks CARE and It’s On Us will chat with Breslin for a timely, intimate discussion around dating and identifying abuse. They will share insights on unhealthy abusive relationships and ways you can support survivors, promote healthy relationships, and prevent violence on campus. This event is made possible by the Student Initiated Fee and through the collaboration of multiple partners including, the Gender Equity Center, Panhellenic Council, UPUA, the Presidential Leadership Academy, and Counseling and Psychological Services.

Breslin’s unique and charismatic talents have contributed to her versatile roles in both comedy and drama. She is most widely recognized for her role as “Olive” in the critically acclaimed feature film “Little Miss Sunshine.” Breslin also starred in the popular FOX horror-comedy series “Scream Queens,” opposite Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Roberts, and in early 2017 she starred in the coveted role of “Baby” in the ABC/Lionsgate recreation of the pop-culture classic, “Dirty Dancing.” Other film credits include “Zombieland” and Zombieland 2,” “August: Osage County,” “Rango,” “My Sister’s Keeper” and M. Night Shyamalan’s 2012 film “Signs,” among others. In addition to television and film, Breslin is an accomplished author and Broadway performer and she has received numerous honors and awards for her work on- and off-screen.

Sounds Like Treble: DVAM Karaoke

Tuesday, Oct. 8, 4:30 p.m., 008 (Lion’s Lair Lounge) HUB-Robeson Center

With a catchy chorus and amazing beat, we love to sing along to them, but have we ever stopped to really listen to the music we love? Today’s hits and popular songs spanning the past several decades may sound joyful, but they’re full of problematic messages about love, relationships, boundaries, consent and more. Join the Gender Equity Center and Centre Safe for a night of karaoke where we enjoy some of our “problematic favs” and take some time to consider how we can expect more from our favorite songs to promote healthy behaviors in relationships.

Purple Thursday

Thursday, Oct. 17

Purple is the nationally recognized awareness color for domestic violence. Purple Thursday aims to raise awareness about intimate partner violence and domestic violence by highlighting support for survivors and efforts to reduce the stigma, advocate for survivors, and work for greater safety and equity for victim survivors. Community members are invited to wear or decorate their spaces in purple on Oct. 17 and to share pictures on social media tagging “@pennstategeneq” and “@upua_psu” for a chance to win some amazing prizes by showing your advocacy and support.

The Gender Equity Center will host a table in the HUB-Robeson Center on Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in partnership with UPUA to distribute purple ribbons or a Purple Thursday buttons.

Empowering Resilience Through Yoga: An Introduction to Trauma Informed Practice

Monday, Oct. 21, 4–5 p.m., Pasquerilla Spiritual Center Memorial Lounge

Kerri Zelman from Boalsburg Yoga and Wellness will lead participants through a trauma informed yoga session to help participants become aware of the feelings and sensations in their body, enabling all to work on realizing built-up trauma, emotions, stress, and tension. Spots are limited and registration is required to attend.

This month’s events are hosted by the Gender Equity Center and co-sponsored by Campus Recreation, Counseling and Psychological Services, Centre Safe, the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development, Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Development and Enrichment for Intercollegiate Athletics, Paul Robeson Cultural Center, Residence Life, Rock Ethics Institute, the University Libraries, and the University Park Undergraduate Association, among others.

For more information on domestic violence and ways to get involved in prevention efforts visit studentaffairs.psu.edu/genderequity.

Follow the Gender Equity Center on Facebook and Instagram using @PennStateGenEq to stay up to date. Join the Gender Equity Center listserv by e-mailing skm5679@psu.edu.