CWU To Host Productions Of 'The Vagina Monologues'

January 16, 2004

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- In a special report released last month, the U.S. Justice Department found that, from 1995 to 2000, college students 18 to 24 years old experienced crimes of violence at a lower rate than non-students, except in one category: rape.

Rape and sexual assault were also found to be the only violent crimes against college students more likely to be committed by a person the victim knew, according to the report, titled "Violent Victimization of College Students."

V-Day, a non-profit corporation, is working to stop violence, including rape, against women and girls. This year, more than 2,000 V-Day events are planned at more than 1,000 locations around the world, including Central Washington University, where benefit performances of 'The Vagina Monologues' will raise awareness and money for anti-violence groups within the local community.

"V-Day 2004 is spotlighting the missing and murdered women in Juarez, Mexico," James Wagner, CWU center for student empowerment programmer and V-Day 2004 event producer, says. "More than 300 women have been abducted and murdered in the past 10 years, and there has not been significant progress in providing protection to the women of Juarez or bringing the perpetrators to justice."

As part of the V-Day 2004 College Campaign, the center for student empowerment will co-sponsor three presentations of Eve Ensler's Obie (Off-Broadway theatre awards) Award-winning play, Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 11 to 13, at 7 p.m. in the Samuelson Union Building (SUB) Ballroom.

Tickets are $5 for students and $10 general admission and will be available at the SUB recreation office and Jerrol's Book and Supply Company. Proceeds will go to support ASPEN (Abuse, Support and Prevention Education Now) and Kittitas County Action Council (KCAC), Ellensburg organizations that work to stop violence against women and girls, according to Wagner.

Along with the performances, various informational and entertainment booths will be set up outside the SUB Ballroom, including ASPEN, KCAC, Planned Parenthood, diversity education center, Wildcat wellness center and CWU art department.

In addition, "The Vagina Monologue" T-shirts and buttons are being sold through the Empowerment Center. Buttons are $1 and the T-shirts are $12, with proceeds also going to ASPEN and KCAC.

The play presentations will culminate a campus campaign in the SUB Pit seeking the end to violence against women and girls nationally and internationally, Wagner says, including:

• Jan. 20-23, a booth for quilt making at which male handprints will be placed on a quilt with the statement, "These hands don't hurt women";
• Jan. 26-30, a "SAFE" table allowing survivors, friends or relatives of survivors of sexual assault and/or rape to anonymously write messages on T-shirts that will be displayed during "The Vagina Monologues";
• Feb. 2-5, from 10 a.m. to noon each day, the center for excellence in leadership will highlight local and nationally known women in leadership;
• Feb. 4, at noon, "Vagina Jeopardy" will be presented by CWU GALA-GLTBSA (Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Bisexual and Straight Alliance);
• Feb. 9, at noon, the movie "Senorita Extraviada" will be shown. It's about the investigation into the disappearances of women from the Juarez, Mexico;
• Feb. 10, the CWU diversity education center will present a Social Justice Series discussion concerning violence and gender;
• Feb. 11, Planned Parenthood representatives will perform a skit and host a version of the game "Jeopardy"; and,
• Feb. 11-13, a voting booth will be open, encouraging women to register to vote.

Central's 2004 V-Day campaign is co-sponsored by the CWU center for student empowerment, Wildcat wellness center, Planned Parenthood, ASPEN, CWU student health and counseling center, associated students of CWU (ASCWU) board of directors, CWU residence hall association, residence life and new student programs, campus life, GALA-GLTBSA, diversity education center, center for excellence in leadership, SAFE (Students for an Assault Free Environment), student radio station KCWU, PROWL (Parents, Relationship, Older, Wiser learners) - the university's non-traditional student club, CWU art department, Theresa McLean (quilt making) and Josh Baulch (media technician).

For more information, or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation to attend any of these events, call (509) 963-2127, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.