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‘IRON MAN: EXTREMIS’
Marvel Entertainment launches its latest motion comic today.
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WILDLIFE
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The independent student voice of the University of Arizona since 1899 friday, april , dailywildcat.com
tucson, arizona
UA marches to ‘Take Back the Night’ By Jazmine Woodberry and Lucy Valencia ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
More than 50 students and supporters marched to speak out and stand up against sexual violence at the annual Take Back the Night event Thursday night on the UA Mall. The Campus Health Services OASIS program and the Women’s Resource Center have been working with students and Tucson community members since January to organize the event’s speakers, performers and supporters. “It was started to reclaim (women’s) safety and to take a stand against sexual violence,”said Erin Strange, the violence prevention specialist with the OASIS program.“It’s a really powerful message that we send to the community when we do these events.” First held in Brussels in 1976,
Take Back the Night events occur on campuses worldwide, to speak out against interpersonal and sexual violence and provide time for people to share personal stories in order to prevent these attacks from happening to anyone else. “Awareness is power,” said Lori Van Buggenum, program director for the Women’s Resource Center. “The more that we can create that awareness and educate people, the more we can create an environment that one, doesn’t tolerate violence and two, educates people about their risk.” High school- and college-aged women are four times more likely to be victims of sexual assault than members of the general population. Women are more likely to be assaulted by someone that they know. Out of all assaults, as many as 60 percent go unreported, making the majority of sexual assaults
a “crimes of silence” according to Van Buggenum. Many groups on campus felt the need to drive home this sentiment. Several speakers from the AfricanAmerican Committee began the event by addressing violence, especially directed towards black women. For every black woman that reports her rape, at least 15 do not. “Our mission tonight is twofold: to stifle the silence and to battle sexual and interpersonal violence. We know that the problem exists, we need to enable people to speak,”says Sheronda Jordan, a staff crisis advocate, forensic science coordinator, and supervisor on a rape examiner team.“We can start by simply believing those that speak out.” Many students came out to the event via previous experiences or MARCH, page 3
Valentina Martinelli/Arizona Daily Wildcat
UA students participated in a march for Take Back the Night, an event created for students to take a stand against sexual assault, on Thursday.
Swimsuit Day slides onto campus ROTC
parades student awards
By Brenna Goth ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
Students clad in bikinis and board shorts participated in the UA’s first Swimsuit School Day on Thursday. Event coordinators encouraged students to wear swimsuits to classes and spend their afternoon on the UA Mall. The event featured music, free Eegees and a large inflatable Slip-N-Dip. Swimsuit School Day was born when marketing sophomore Ross Shanken decided it would be fun to wear swimsuits in celebration of the warm weather. “I just kind of thought about it one day,” Shanken said. Shanken created a Facebook event based on the concept. Students were so supportive of the idea that he decided to expand the festivities to the Mall. The event took about three weeks to organize. The music, Eegees and Slip-N-Dip were all donated. Shanken was supported in the planning by his friends, who agreed Swimsuit School Day would appeal to UA students. “We’re in a hot environment, but we’re not close enough to water,” Hutchinson said. “We decided to bring the water to us.” Shanken thought the event would be a good way for students to relieve stress. “Finals are coming up. We’re ready for summer,” Shanken said. Media arts junior Aelynn Heinrichs heard about the event through Facebook and was eager to participate. “It’s summer! I wanted to start swimming and doing stuff,” Heinrichs said.“I’ve had my swimsuit on all day. I’ve had shorts and a tank top over it, though.” Shanken was surprised by the high participation rate. He estimates that about fifty people used the Slip-N-Dip during its first hour of availability. “I’ve seen a lot of swimsuits. We had some sunbathers earlier. It was pretty cool,” Shanken said. Shanken hopes that Swimsuit School Day will become an annual event. “Next year, it’s going to be a lot bigger,” Shanken said.
By Laura E. Donovan ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
Lisa Beth Earle/Arizona Daily Wildcat
Ross Shanken, a marketing sophomore, and Kerry Beckett, a media arts sophomore, give the Slip-N-Dip their best slide on the UA Mall on Thursday. The inflatable water slide was part of the first Swimsuit School Day, hosted by Remix-Nation.com.
Day of Silence emphasized with photos By Luke Money ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT Heritage Hill is often occupied by bands, protestors or evangelists, but Friday, it will become Silent Hill. Residence Life and the UA Pride Alliance will be hosting a joint event on the UA Mall on Friday to mark the National Day of Silence, a day on which students take a vow of silence to symbolize the silence of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transsexual and questioning individuals throughout the world. Residence Life will be hosting an event modeled after the national No H8 Campaign. The campaign was started by professional photographer Adam Bouska in protest of California’s 2008 ballot initiative Proposition 8, which banned same sex-marriage within the state. “I actually have a friend who goes to another university where she and
her friends had done a similar photo shoot,” said Ashley White, a graduate student of higher education and the graduate community director for residence life. “Seeing the pictures, they took later was really powerful to me, so it made me look at the No H8 campaign website.” Proponents of Proposition 8 include politicians such as Arizona Senator John McCain and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, religious organizations
like the Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in addition to the ProtectMarriage.com organization, which spearheaded the movement to include Proposition 8 on California ballots. “I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home
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At 5 a.m. Thursday, it was still dark outside, and approximately 100 members of all three ROTC branches marched across Bear Down Field. The cadets were practicing for their 6 a.m. Joint Services Awards Ceremony, which gave out 34 different types of awards to more than 100 cadets, sergeants and other military personnel at the UA. “These men and women are tomorrow’s leaders,” said Brittney Lopez , midshipman, ceremony narrator and political science senior. “Their talents and determination will surely afford their every opportunity to rise to the top in the future.” One of the awards presented was the Daughters of the American Revolution award for ROTC students in the top 25 percent of their class who demonstrate superior qualities of loyalty, dependability, character, military discipline and leadership. Other honors included the Naval Academy Alumni Association award, Air Force Association Award, and the National Sojourners Award for Americanism. After the presentation of military awards, Lopez briefed the audience on UA President Robert Shelton’s educational and professional background. Shelton approached the podium soon after Lopez’s introduction. “As president of the University of Arizona, I get the opportunity to meet with different student groups and organizations,” Shelton said. “It is always a pleasure and honor to be able to meet with ROTC students. You are special. You help set us apart from so many other institutions because it is from your ranks that some of the greatest leaders emerge, along with our most committed alumni and most engaged citizens.” Tyler George, a psychology junior and third year Air Force cadet, believed that the hour-long ceremony went well.
NO H8, page 5
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ROTC, page 5