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Volume 79, Number 6
November 4,1999
Help Offered Through Bravery Longwood and Japanese KIM URANN Asst. News Editor It takes a brave woman to survive rape and be able to move on with her life. It takes an even braver woman to discuss something as traumatic as rape with a group of unknown people. On Thursday, October 28, three women did just that. Take Back the Night is a program dedicated to helping women get through sexual assault and share their stories with others. It was an emotional time for all who were there. Hearing the tales the women told was not easy, but it must have been even harder for those who went through it. Tsbirts made by victims and those who knew victims hung all over the Ballroom, and red candles
lined a table on the stage. Each candle represented a woman who spoke and had been raped or sexually assaulted. Many of the speakers found it difficult to discuss, and more than one were reduced to tears. The audience appeared just as affected as those talking. Many people wiped away tears, but some tried hard not to cry. The pain on their faces said enough. S.A.F.E. presented the program, and they ended it by telling those in attendance about what can be done in cases of rape or sexual assault. If you, or someone who confides in you, has been raped, there are places in Farmville (hat can help. Following this article is a detailed list of where you can turn for help. It is never the victim's
fault. The presentation's main goal was to tell everyone this. There is help, and there are things you can do. Victims of sexual assault can call the Piedmont Crisis Center's 24 hour hotline at 1-888819-2926. This number also directs you to Madeline's House, which extends a helping hand to all people in the surrounding area. The Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hodine is 1-800-838-8238, which is also a 24 hour hotline. The Counseling Center at Longwood College also offers support and confidentiality. It is located in Suite 126 in Lancaster, or you can call at 395-2409, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 to 5:00.
Alcohol Awareness Week PRESS RELEASE In conjunction with National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (October 17-23), the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has announced the results of its first comprehensive, state-wide behavioral survey of college alcohol and other drug use. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey, funded by a grant from Governor Jim Gilmore's Office on Safe and Drug Free schools, included 18 public and private colleges and universities and nearly 8,500 respondents. ABC expects to repeat this survey during the next few years, and the results from this initial survey will serve as baseline data to determine what programs are most effective in reducing dangerous drinking behaviors by college
students. "Previously, we did not have data that could show us the extent of alcohol and drug use statewide," said Craig Vanderland, Director of Management Services and Public Affairs, which oversees ABC's education programs. "We relied on individual schools' reporting to assess the scope of underage and dangerous drinking on college campuses. This survey gives us the tool we need to evaluate the effectiveness of alcohol education and prevention programs across the Commonwealth." The survey revealed good and bad news about student drinking behavior. Colleges who implemented social marketing programs this fall will be able to use the survey results in their campaigns. Social marketing it a
method used to educate students about the reality of alcohol use at their school. Research has shown that most students' perceptions of alcohol use are higher than the actual reported use, and that students tend to modify their behavior toward the perceived norm. Once students learn that fewer of their peers drink excessively than they once believed, it is believed that they will modify their behavior. Last year, ABC awarded two-year social marketing grants to five Virginia colleges. In keeping with ABCs mission of public safety, the agency has a long history of offering programs designed to help Virginia's schools with alcohol prevention and education, and will continue to provide research grants and other assistance for colleges.
University Sign Agreement! PRESS RELEASE Students from Chubu University in Japan may eventually attend Longwood College in a dual- degree program, as a result of a recent visit by a nine-member delegation from the Japanese university. Dr. Patricia Cormier, Longwood's president, and Kazuo Yamada, Chubu's chancellor, signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" October 7 that expands the general agreement signed at Longwood in 1993. The two institutions agreed to negotiate further in curriculum matters, then sign a formal agreement Officials at both campuses are seeking to develop a program in which Chubu students attend that institution for two years and then Longwood for two years, earning a bachelor's degree from each. The exchange would be primarily in business, although it
would be open to students from any field. The program eventually might involve Longwood students studying there, but the initial focus would be largely on Chubu students transferring to Longwood. Originally an engineering] school, Chubu is a private university near Nagoya. Dr. William Dorrill. then Longwood's president, visited Chubu in 1993. am! Mr. Yamada, then Chubu's president, came to Longwood thai September. Dr. John Reynolds, until recently the director ol Longwood's International Studies Program, attended Chubu'; 30th anniversary celebration in) 1995. The recent delegation to! Longwood included the university's superintendent (financial administrator) , directoi of international studies, U.S. representative, and several businessmen from the Chubu area who are financial supporters.
Longwood President Patricia Cormier and Kazoo Yamada. chancellor of Chubu University, sign an agreement expanding the relationship between the two institutions.