Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Garrett, Robin" <>]

Just wanted to chime  in a second time. I so appreciate the comments of
my colleagues here. I have forwarded this string of notes to our CVC
people to get their thoughts.  While we have really good staff in our
counseling center, here at WCU, some of them have more expertise in
working with victim/survivors than others so I really do prefer  turning
to those who do this full -time, including their on-staff clinical
psychologists.  It's always good to learn from others, and I appreciate
the sharing from other campuses.  I do know that we have had students
who sought assistance only after they had spoken at the open forum
spontaneously. The way our speakout is organized, it is very intimate
and supportive. I'll keep thinking about this. It is not a simple
question to answer.


Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.
Robin Garrett,
Women's Center Director 
West Chester University
West Chester PA 19383
610-436-2122

There is no way to peace.  Peace is the way.
http://www.wcupa.edu/_SERVICES/Stu.wce/

-----Original Message-----
From: 

[mailto:]
 On Behalf Of

Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 12:06 PM
To: 

Subject: SAPC Digest, Vol 614, Issue 1

Send SAPC mailing list submissions to
        


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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1 (Jesica Berndt)
   2. RE: SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1 (Garrett, Robin)
   3. Re: Take Back the Night (Janine Cavicchia)
   4. Re: Take Back the Night (Connie J Kirkland)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:38:02 -0400
From: "Jesica Berndt" 
<>
Subject: Re: SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1
To: 
<>
Message-ID: 
<>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Dear Judy and List,

At Grand Valley State University, a public institution with around
23,000 students, we take a slightly different approach. The organization
that sponsors the event, Eyes Wide Open, seeks volunteers to share a
story in advance. This year we had two speakers. Once the speakers are
identified we ask that they meet with one of the advisors of the group
to review their speaking points and make sure the folks are ready to
speak to a large group of people.

The overwhelming response to the student speakers is positive; usually
considered the highlight of the program. We also partner with the
Counseling Center to have representatives on site. We highlight these
folks during the presentation and provide information about how to reach
them should people wish to meet with a staff member.

If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me.

Jes Berndt
Co-Advisor, Eyes Wide Open
Grand Valley State University

>>> 
>>>  10/26/06 12:05 PM >>>
Send SAPC mailing list submissions to
        

 

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
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Today's Topics:

   1. Take Back the Night 
()


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:03:33 -0400
From: 

 
Subject: Take Back the Night
To: 

 
Message-ID: 
<>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format="flowed"

I am the director of a small women's center at a four-year 
private liberal arts college in central Pennsylvania. We 
have been sponsoring a Take Back the Night program for 14 
years, and it is a very popular event on campus. Our 
counseling and health services staff members have recently 
expressed concern, however, about the testimonials portion 
of  the program. They feel it is too depressing and may 
even be harmful to sexual assault and abuse victims who 
have not disclosed their experiences before or who are not 
well into the healing process.

I would appreciate getting information on how other 
schools handle the testimonials or open-mic portion of 
TBTN. We currently ask students to check in at a table 
staffed by counselors before they speak, and our 
counseling services people also have open hours the week 
prior to the event to talk with students who are 
considering speaking(very few student take advantage of 
this opportunity, however). Is there something else you do 
at your school that you have found helpful in making the 
testimonials portion of the program empowering for both 
speakers and the audience?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Regards,

Judy Pehrson




Judy Pehrson
Director
The Women's Center
Franklin & Marshall College
P.O. Box 3003
Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
717-291-3956


------------------------------

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SAPC mailing list

 
https://list.mail.Virginia.EDU/mailman/listinfo/sapc ;


End of SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1
************************************



------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:49:14 -0400
From: "Garrett, Robin" 
<>
Subject: RE: SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1
To: 
<>
Message-ID:
        
<>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"

Based on many years experience with this, I think you are handling this
really well. We include in those present at our TBtN staff from our
local crime victim/rape crisis center.  They view this event very
positively, and they are the ones who work with victims over many months
and years.  The day their staff (with whom we work very closely) tell me
that this may be detrimental is when I will re-think it.  This is an off
the cuff response cuz I'm on the run (as usual!!), but I did not want to
just delete and not respond.
I look forward to hearing what others have to say.


Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.
Robin Garrett,
Women's Center Director 
West Chester University
West Chester PA 19383
610-436-2122

There is no way to peace.  Peace is the way.
http://www.wcupa.edu/_SERVICES/Stu.wce/

-----Original Message-----
From: 

[mailto:]
 On Behalf Of

Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 12:05 PM
To: 

Subject: SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1

Send SAPC mailing list submissions to
        


To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
        https://list.mail.Virginia.EDU/mailman/listinfo/sapc
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
        


You can reach the person managing the list at
        


When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of SAPC digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. Take Back the Night 
()


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:03:33 -0400
From: 

Subject: Take Back the Night
To: 

Message-ID: 
<>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format="flowed"

I am the director of a small women's center at a four-year 
private liberal arts college in central Pennsylvania. We 
have been sponsoring a Take Back the Night program for 14 
years, and it is a very popular event on campus. Our 
counseling and health services staff members have recently 
expressed concern, however, about the testimonials portion 
of  the program. They feel it is too depressing and may 
even be harmful to sexual assault and abuse victims who 
have not disclosed their experiences before or who are not 
well into the healing process.

I would appreciate getting information on how other 
schools handle the testimonials or open-mic portion of 
TBTN. We currently ask students to check in at a table 
staffed by counselors before they speak, and our 
counseling services people also have open hours the week 
prior to the event to talk with students who are 
considering speaking(very few student take advantage of 
this opportunity, however). Is there something else you do 
at your school that you have found helpful in making the 
testimonials portion of the program empowering for both 
speakers and the audience?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Regards,

Judy Pehrson




Judy Pehrson
Director
The Women's Center
Franklin & Marshall College
P.O. Box 3003
Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
717-291-3956


------------------------------

_______________________________________________
SAPC mailing list

https://list.mail.Virginia.EDU/mailman/listinfo/sapc


End of SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1
************************************


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:32:06 -0500
From: "Janine Cavicchia" 
<>
Subject: Re: Take Back the Night
To: 
<>,
 
<>
Message-ID: 
<>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

We just had our 17th annual TBTN, and this was the first time we didn't
have any students or other community members participate in our
"Survivor Speak Out," which has always been a 2-3 minute per person
forum in which we've usually had 2-5 students participate each year.
However, it's never been an OPEN forum. We've always advertised it that
anyone who would like to participate in it MUST contact the Women's
Center director at least a week before the event, and preferably much
sooner, so we can connect them with one of our Counseling Center staff
members who meets individually with them and then meets with all 2-5
speakers as a group once before the event. Most of our speak-out
participants have, in fact, actually come from survivor support groups
either at our University Counseling Center or our local Victim Services
agency, and they're at a point where they and their counselors feel that
they're ready. 

For each of the last three years (including this year), we have had two
students speak at the event for 10 minutes each, and they have been very
powerful, motivating, and inspiring speakers.  Most have come to talk to
me about doing the speak-out portion, but after talking with them I've
been convinced that 2-3 minutes isn't enough to tell their stories and
do them justice (10 minutes really isn't either--most of them could do
an hour presentation by themselves!), so we've given them more time and
included them as "featured speakers" with a bio in our program booklet.
(To give you an idea, you can visit our Web site at www.wc.wiu.edu and
click on the TBTN logo at the top of our Homepage, then click on the
TBTN 2006 program booklet and scroll down to the bios page for this
year; then for last year go back to our home page, click on
"Programming," scroll down to the TBTN 2005 logo and look up last year's
speaker bios in that program booklet.)
 
So, I agree with our counseling center staff and others who discourage
having an open speak-out or testimonial portion at the event. We've
always had great success with having students and others come forward
ahead of time and work with us to make sure they're ready and prepared
for what they're going to say, how they might feel, how others might
react, etc. so they have a good support system in place.
 
Janine
 
Janine Cavicchia, Director
Women's Center
Western Illinois University
320 Seal Hall
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL  61455
(309) 298-2242
(309) 298-2433 (FAX)

 
www.wc.wiu.edu 

"Men their rights and nothing more; women their rights and nothing
less."
--Susan B. Anthony

>>> <>
>>>  10/25/2006 12:03 PM >>>
I am the director of a small women's center at a four-year 
private liberal arts college in central Pennsylvania. We 
have been sponsoring a Take Back the Night program for 14 
years, and it is a very popular event on campus. Our 
counseling and health services staff members have recently 
expressed concern, however, about the testimonials portion 
of  the program. They feel it is too depressing and may 
even be harmful to sexual assault and abuse victims who 
have not disclosed their experiences before or who are not 
well into the healing process.

I would appreciate getting information on how other 
schools handle the testimonials or open-mic portion of 
TBTN. We currently ask students to check in at a table 
staffed by counselors before they speak, and our 
counseling services people also have open hours the week 
prior to the event to talk with students who are 
considering speaking(very few student take advantage of 
this opportunity, however). Is there something else you do 
at your school that you have found helpful in making the 
testimonials portion of the program empowering for both 
speakers and the audience?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Regards,

Judy Pehrson




Judy Pehrson
Director
The Women's Center
Franklin & Marshall College
P.O. Box 3003
Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
717-291-3956





------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 20:23:36 -0400
From: Connie J Kirkland 
<>
Subject: Re: Take Back the Night
To: 

Message-ID: 
<>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

We have sponsored Take Back the Night at George Mason University in
Fairfax, Virginia for the past 18 years.  We have opted not to do an
open mic for the reasons you have mentioned.  Instead, the Women's
Center and my office - Sexual Assault Services -- ask victims/survivors
who we know and who we know have gone through the healing process to a
point to be able to speak in front of a crowd without retraumatizing
themselves or others. We ask that they give us an outline and have a
small discussion with me before the night -- to be sure they are focused
and to help them recognize the difficulties they might have when they
speak.  So far, each night has been very powerful and very empowering
for those in attendance.

Connie Kirkland
Director, Sexual Assault Services
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-993-4364
----- Original Message -----
From: 

Date: Thursday, October 26, 2006 12:05 pm
Subject: SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1

> Send SAPC mailing list submissions to
>       
> 
> 
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>       https://list.mail.Virginia.EDU/mailman/listinfo/sapc
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>       
> 
> 
> You can reach the person managing the list at
>       
> 
> 
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of SAPC digest..."
> 
> 
> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. Take Back the Night 
> ()
> 
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:03:33 -0400
> From: 
> 
> Subject: Take Back the Night
> To: 
> 
> Message-ID: 
> <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format="flowed"
> 
> I am the director of a small women's center at a four-year 
> private liberal arts college in central Pennsylvania. We 
> have been sponsoring a Take Back the Night program for 14 
> years, and it is a very popular event on campus. Our 
> counseling and health services staff members have recently 
> expressed concern, however, about the testimonials portion 
> of  the program. They feel it is too depressing and may 
> even be harmful to sexual assault and abuse victims who 
> have not disclosed their experiences before or who are not 
> well into the healing process.
> 
> I would appreciate getting information on how other 
> schools handle the testimonials or open-mic portion of 
> TBTN. We currently ask students to check in at a table 
> staffed by counselors before they speak, and our 
> counseling services people also have open hours the week 
> prior to the event to talk with students who are 
> considering speaking(very few student take advantage of 
> this opportunity, however). Is there something else you do 
> at your school that you have found helpful in making the 
> testimonials portion of the program empowering for both 
> speakers and the audience?
> 
> Thanks for any advice you can offer.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Judy Pehrson
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Judy Pehrson
> Director
> The Women's Center
> Franklin & Marshall College
> P.O. Box 3003
> Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
> 717-291-3956
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> SAPC mailing list
> 
> https://list.mail.Virginia.EDU/mailman/listinfo/sapc
> 
> 
> End of SAPC Digest, Vol 613, Issue 1
> ************************************
> 


------------------------------

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End of SAPC Digest, Vol 614, Issue 1
************************************