October is Domestic Abuse Awareness month. The department of Department of Public Safety is sponsoring its annual Domestic Violence Awareness Week starting on Oct. 22. This is the 4th year that the department has organized the event.
The Silent Witness Exhibit, developed by REACH (a domestic violence service agency helping approximately 6,000 people a year) will be on display. Throughout the Campus Center, life-sized plywood human figures will display signs telling the stories of some 2012 domestic abuse victims. The Department of Public Safety is making counselors available to those who are disturbed by the intense content of the exhibit.
New this year is the Children’s Pajama Drive that will be happening throughout the week of Oct 22. Donation boxes will be located at the Public Safety office, campus center information booths and student centers. Donations will go to domestic abuse survivor shelters, Casa Mira Vasquez, which is in the Boston area, and New Day, which is on the South Shore. In an effort to get the entire UMass Boston community involved, student centers will run the drive.
The Department of Public Safety has turned the drive into a bit of a competition because they felt it would be a fun way for students to get involved. The student center that collects the most donations will win a public safety-sponsored pizza party for their center. Officer Dianne Kirkpatrick said, “We are doing this to foster better relations with the students by collaborating our efforts for a common community service goal.” Each participating student center has a donation box and will have posters to advertise the pajama drive.
The Department of Public Safety tries to do one main event and this year it’s the play “Yellow Dress” which deals with the issue of dating violence. Deana’s Educational Theater will perform the play on October 23rd in the Campus Center Ballroom A at 3 p.m. Deana’s Educational Theater’s goal is to prevent dating violence. They produce educational theater programs about relationship violence for all ages and communities.
Another way to get not only students but faculty involved as well is to wear purple all week, especially on the day of the performance of “Yellow Dress.” Detective Sergeant Clara Molina wants to get others outside of UMass Boston involved and she will invite outside police departments to watch the performance.