Lighting the Night Against Abuse

For three nights this week and next, the unusual glow from three campus buildings creates a beacon of hope, and an invitation.

Purple Light Nights, hosted by the Health Center’s CARE to Stop Violence program, is part of a national movement to raise awareness and understanding of relationship violence. Starting last night and continuing tomorrow night and Monday night, student educators will be at various locations around campus, ready to engage passersby in activities and conversations about healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns, relationship violence and how to get help for themselves or a loved one in need.

“We think every single person on campus has a role to play in violence prevention,” said Carly Cottone, CARE’s outreach liaison.

Games and activities will be set up tomorrow night outside the South Campus Dining Hall and next Monday on Hornbake Plaza. Students walking by can identify red flags and green flags in relationships or play a large-scale version of Jenga that asks participants to take steps in finding help for relationship problems.

“We want to be teaching people how you create those good and healthy relationships,” said Cottone, emphasizing trust, communication and transparency as key factors the educators will be highlighting. “At the same time, we do want people to know what to watch out for, or the warning signs.”