Wednesday, April 27, 2022

By John Johnson, vice president for diversity and inclusion.

 

Content warning: References to rape and sexual assault

 

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This week, the student Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) Team has organized a series of events and activities to educate the Whitman community about consent, sex positivity, sexual health and sexual assault. The full schedule is available here. One of this week’s signature events is Take Back the Night, a powerful occasion held on college campuses across the country that centers the voices of survivors and serves as an indictment of rape culture on college campuses and around the world. More details on tomorrow’s Take Back the Night event at Whitman are below.

 

Today, Wednesday, April 27, is Denim Day. If you are unfamiliar, Denim Day is a campaign organized by the nonprofit Peace Over Violence in response to a rape conviction that was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court back in 1999. The justices believed that because the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have cooperated with their removal, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. We can envision a world without rape, but we must resist the urge to look away or deny the violence in our communities. To quote Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, “There has to be a shift in culture. We have to have conversations about systems that are in place that allow sexual violence to flourish.”

 

Read more.

Take Back the Night at Whitman

Take Back the Night (TBTN) is tomorrow evening. TBTN is an interactive student-led event that creates awareness, empowers survivors and educates the community about sexual violence.

 

There will be two parts to the evening: a march starting at 7 p.m. outside the Hall of Music and a vigil from 8 p.m.–10 p.m. in Chism Recital Hall. There will be two parts of the vigil, anonymous stories read aloud and open mic time for sexual assault survivors. The survivor speak-out is the heart of the Take Back the Night events across the country.

 

There will be representatives from the Counseling Center and the YWCA available for support at the event. Attendees are encouraged to take any space throughout the night necessary, as these stories can be both empowering and difficult to hear and process. 

 

More details are available here.

Reid Campus Center elevators will be undergoing maintenance tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon and will not be available for use during that time.

The Career and Community Engagement center invites you to the annual celebration of this year’s Community Fellows! Hear about all of the fellows’ projects and the impact they made addressing Walla Walla Valley cultural, social or economic challenges with local community organizations. There will be snacks, photos and cheer! Join the festivities at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 29  in Maxey West 42.

In accordance with Washington state Labor & Industries employer requirements, we are notifying that campus community that in the past 24 hours, six people with Whitman access were confirmed positive for COVID-19. These people are now in isolation in accordance with our campus and CDC guidelines. 

 

The risk of viral spread is lower for people who are properly masked and following social gathering restrictions. Please continue to follow all our campus COVID-19 protocols to help prevent transmission.

 

If you have any symptoms that may be COVID-19 or know that you may have been exposed to coronavirus, please be tested. Employees should email Human Resources (hr@whitman.edu) to schedule a test. Students can be tested at the back door of Welty from 9:30–11:30 a.m. and 2:30–4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and home test kits are available on the weekend from Residence Life staff or Security (509-527-5777).

Have an event you'd like to share with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.

“Whitman Today” is produced by the Office of Communications and is emailed Monday through Friday to Whitman College staff, faculty and students. All times are listed in Pacific Daylight Time. 

 

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