The Saint Mary’s College (BAVO) and the University of Notre Dame’s (GRC) are co-sponsoring “” (TBTN) on Thursday (April 28). This year Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s are recognized among the TBTN Foundation’s “10 Points of Light”—10 locations across the country that will stand in solidarity on the same night, lighting candles to support survivors and to raise awareness for sexual violence and rape.

TBTN at Notre Dame and St. Mary’s is an event that allows men and women to stand in solidarity with survivors of rape and sexual assault and to show a commitment to preventing this violence from happening in our community. The event includes:

• 7 p.m., kick-off for Saint Mary’s students – Lake Marian
• 7:30 p.m., candlelight vigil – Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, Notre Dame
• 8 p.m., march – Notre Dame campus
• 8:30 p.m, speak out and bonfire – Holy Cross Hill (not open to media for reporting)

According to information provided by BAVO, issues of sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking impact college-aged women at disproportionately higher rates than other populations. National statistics indicate that one out of every six women will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime; college-aged women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted; and 60 percent of sexual assaults go unreported (Source: ). One in four women experiences relationship violence in her lifetime; and women who are between the ages of 20 and 24 are at the greatest risk for nonfatal relationship violence (Source:National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Saint Mary’s College and Notre Dame have co-sponsored TBTN in previous years, though this is the first time BAVO has been involved since the office opened in fall 2010.

Note to media: All events are open to media for reporting except the speak out, in order to respect the privacy of those who feel compelled to share their personal stories.

The University of Notre Dame’s Core Council for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Questioning Students will lead a number of campus activities this week (April 11 to 15) as part of “StaND Against Hate Week.”

Co-sponsored by the and Notre Dame’s Allies of the Coalition, Office of Campus Ministry, Feminist Voice, Gender Relations Center, MeCha, Men Against Violence, Division of Student Affairs, Office of the President, Progressive Student Alliance, Student Government, Student Union Board and University Counseling Center, the week is dedicated to heightening awareness of the power of hate in all forms, particularly against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and serves to create an inclusive spirit at Notre Dame for all people, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity. All events are free and open to the public.

Planned activites are:

April 11
• Ally pledge signing and Day of Silence card distribution, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., South Dining Hall and LaFortune Student Center

• Coffee House, 7 to 9 p.m., Geddes Hall — An opportunity to kick-off the week’s events by joining together in coffee and conversation to discuss our efforts to fight “hate” and discrimination at Notre Dame.

April 12
• Ally pledge signing and Day of Silence card distribution, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., South Dining Hall and LaFortune Student Center
• Film: “The Laramie Project,” 7 to 9 p.m., Montgomery Auditorium, LaFortune Student Center — “The Laramie Project” film explores the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay teenager, and the reactions of people in Laramie, Wyo., to his death. The movie examines the effects of violence and hate crimes on the LGBTQ community. Shepard’s mother, Judy, will speak on campus later in the week.

April 13
• Free T-shirt distribution, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Field House Mall
• “In Violence, We Forget Who We Are,” 7 to 8:30 p.m., Andrews Auditorium, Geddes Hall — Sarah Brook, a 2003 Notre Dame graduate and sexual violence counselor for the NYC Anti-Violence Project will share some of her expertise on hate-violence directed at LGBTQ people nationwide, and reflect on violence at Notre Dame, with the assistance of two student respondents, Brandon Buchanan and Scott Mitchell, who are both Core Council members

April 14
• An Evening with Judy Shepard, 7 to 9 p.m., Room 101, DeBartolo Hall — Shepard is the mother of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime. She has become a nationally recognized speaker, urging an end to anti-gay violence and promoting greater understanding.

April 15
• Day of Silence procession and prayer Service, 3 to 4 p.m. — Meet in silence in front of the Main Building for a silent procession to Geddes Hall for a prayer service.

Contact: Sr. Sue Dunn and Rachel Washington, Core Council co-chairs, Dunn.54@nd.edu or bboston1@nd.edu; or Brandon Buchanan, Core Council member, 574-631-5550

As part of its Violence Prevention Initiative(VPI), the Gender Relations Center at the University of Notre Dame will host “Now is the Time: Festival on the Quad” Wednesday (April 28) from 5 to 8 p.m. on Notre Dame’s South Quad in celebration of the center’s commitment to overcome sexual and gender violence. The event is free and open to the public.

In case of rain, events will take place in the Oak Room of South Dining Hall. Planned events, all of which are free and open to the public, are:

• 5 to 7:30 p.m. — Student bands performing: The Revelin’ Family Band, Ana Livias DaughterSons, and Pat McKillen
• 7:30 to 8 p.m. – Speak-out of original student writing
• Free food and corn hole games
• Donations accepted for the rape crisis center of St. Joseph County

VPI strives to raise awareness about violence in the local community, increase understanding about global violence, promote the healing of survivors of violence, fundraise for local non-profits invested in violence prevention and/or service to survivors of violence, and serve as a flagship for violence prevention programming on Catholic campuses.

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Contact: Elizabeth Moriarty, assistant director, , 574-631-9340, emoriarty@nd.edu

As part of its Violence Prevention Initiative, the University of Notre Dame‘s Gender Relations Center (GRC) will host “Now is the Time: Festival on the Quad” Friday (April 24) from 3 to 8 p.m. on Notre Dame’s South Quad in celebration of the center’s commitment to overcome sexual and gender violence.

The festival will be highlighted by a keynote address by College Football Hall of Famer Donald McPherson, who will present a talk titled “You Throw Like a Girl” at 6 p.m. (In the event of inclement weather, the talk will be held in the Jordan Auditorium of the Mendoza College of Business.)

A veteran of the NFL and CFL, McPherson was the quarterback and captain of the undefeated 1987 Syracuse University football team, a runner up for the Heisman Trophy and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. For more than 20 years he has used the power and appeal of sport to address complex social issues and is a national leader and advocate for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence.

Other planned events, all of which are free and open to the public, are:

• 3 to 4 p.m. – Showing of “Dreamworlds 3,” a film exploring how music videos and the media influence our conceptions of desire, sex and power

• 3 to 6 p.m. – Campus cornhole fundraiser, $5 minimum donation for teams of two people to play cornhole, a bean bag toss game. All proceeds will go to SOS of Madison Center, the Rape Crisis Center of Saint Joseph County.

• 6 to 7:30 p.m. – Keynote talk, “You Throw Like a Girl,” Donald McPherson, , activist, educator and feminist

• 7:30 to 8 p.m. – Notre Dame student speak-out

Established in 2004, the GRC educates on the impact of the social construction of gender and encourages students to explore issues of equality, personal identity and relationship development. Committed to fostering the spiritual, emotional and intellectual development of all students, the GRC—through signature programs and training about gender related issues—facilitates respectful dialogue where women and men can share their unique experiences and participate in building a community which fully honors the human dignity of each member as a creature of God.

Contact: Elizabeth Moriarty, assistant director, , 574-631-9340, emoriar3@nd.edu