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

["McLay, Molly Margaret" <>]

Hello all,

 

Two University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) students created a poem inspired by the #WhyIStayed campaign, and they performed it before Beverly Gooden, creator of the movement, spoke at the University. It’s so moving and powerful, and they asked that I pass it along to other educators. Here’s a little more info, in their words:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtS_oEP0kq8

"What started off as a class project turned into something so much more. Last week my friend Sam and I sat outside of a residence hall at our university for north of 6 hours. We explained to those passing by that October is domestic violence awareness month. We encouraged individuals to take a piece of chalk and add their own reason for potentially staying in an unhealthy relationship, or perhaps why a close friend or family member stayed. We explained this is our way of giving survivors, like ourselves, and supporters a voice that they may have never had the opportunity to express. The words shared with us are now combined into a poem, which we created with the intention of giving those voices another forum to be heard. We had the incredible opportunity of preforming before Beverly Gooden, the founder of #WhyIstayed, presented. This poem is dedicated to all of the stories that we have heard over the past few weeks, and serves as a reminder that you are never alone." http://bingethinking.net/why-did-she-stay/

-Devin Weiss and Sam Rothman

 

 

Molly M. McLay, LCSW

(pronouns: she/her/hers)

Assistant Director

University of Illinois Women's Resources Center

Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations

2nd Floor, MC-302

703 S. Wright Street

Champaign, IL 61820

(p) 217-333-3137

(f) 217-244-3167

http://www.go.illinois.edu/wrc

 

 

NOTE: Email is not a confidential form of communication. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), any written communication to or from University employees regarding University business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

 

If you need assistance related to sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, please call the Women’s Resources Center at 217-333-3137 anytime Monday-Friday 9am-5pm to make an appointment. If you need support outside of these hours, please call the Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services (R.A.C.E.S.) hotline at (217) 384-4444 or the Emergency Dean at (217) 333-0050.