Monday, Apr 23, 2012
Several student organizations will hold a series of programs from Monday, April 23, through Saturday, April 28.
by Meaghan Haugh
In observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Rider University student organizations will hold a series of events from Monday, April 23, through Saturday, April 28, to promote victims’ rights and honor crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.
As part of the national week, the Rider University Law Society will hold Victims’ Awareness Week on the Lawrenceville campus in order to raise awareness of victims and survivors of different types of crimes and prejudices, including domestic violence; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) harassment and prejudice; child abuse and stalking. In the beginning of the week, Law Society members will hand out small ribbons and cards which explain about the week’s events outside of Daly Dining Hall and Cranberry’s.
On Monday, April 23, the Rider Law Society and Venture, Rider’s literary magazine, will hold Artists for Victims Awareness Pub Night at 7 p.m. in the Rider Pub. The evening will bring together artists, including students from the Lawrenceville and Westminster Choir College campuses, who will perform musically, as well as spoken art. All are invited to participate in a discussion about human trafficking during the Law Society’s closing meeting of the semester on Tuesday, April 24, at 6 p.m. in Fine Arts, Room 201.
On Wednesday, April 25, at 7 p.m., in Sweigart Auditorium, Room 115, the Rider Law Society will hold a movie night featuring the films Trevor and Bullied — two films related to LGBT bullying and harassment. A qualified self-defense instructor will be on campus on Thursday, April 26, to teach students effective ways to defend themselves. The Self-Defense Workshop will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the SRC Seminar Room.
On Thursday, April 26, Rider’s VOX Voices of Planned Parenthood will hold Take Back the Night. The march will begin at 8:30 p.m. in Daly Dining Hall and will continue around campus. Participants will speak about violence against women. The first Take Back the Night emerged in Philadelphia in 1975 after a young woman was stabbed a block from her home. Since then it has become an international movement aimed to take a stand against sexual violence, specifically violence against women.
At the conclusion of the week, Rider Runners and the Rider Law and Society will hold the 4th Annual Run Over Violence 5K on Saturday, April 28 on the Lawrenceville campus. The event benefits Womanspace, a non-profit agency that provides service to women in crisis in Mercer County. Circle K and Future Business Leaders of America are also volunteering at the 5K. Participants will also have a chance to network with professionals. Registration and networking starts at 9 a.m. in front of the SRC. The run will begin at 10 a.m. and the walk will follow. An awards ceremony for the top finishers will be held at 11 a.m. For more information, please visit http://rov5k.webs.com/.