Katy Benoit Campus Safety Awareness Month
University of Idaho is dedicated to providing a welcoming, safe and comfortable campus environment to all community members. Join us in our efforts to promote campus safety.
Multiple campus entities partner to host safety-oriented events around campus throughout the month of September, with a focus on the importance of taking care of our fellow members of the Vandal Family.
How do Vandals take care of Vandals?
Students play a unique role in promoting campus health and safety for themselves and their peers. U of I supports and promotes these efforts with training and resources. From Vandal Green Dot to Connecting U & I, there are many options for students and employees to learn how they can take a stand, look out for each other and celebrate the fact that, at U of I, we care about each other.
Featured Events
Meet campus and community partners and student organizations promoting safety on campus on Wednesday, Sept. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the ISUB Plaza. Get some swag and learn about all the ways U of I has your back!
Join the Dean of Students Office, Vandal Health Education and the Theater Arts Department for this play in recognition of World Suicide Awareness Week at 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 or 2-3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Life is full of momentous events, highs and lows, triumphs and losses, but rarely has such a broad range of universal emotions been captured so lovingly and humorously in such a brilliant, tiny package. This life-affirming play will make you grin from ear to ear, move you to laughter and at times bring you to tears. By the end, you will want to hug your neighbors, call your loved ones and then put on your favorite piece of music and recount all your blessings. Starring Craig A. Miller from U of I Department of Theatre.
Question and answer session by U of I’s Dean of Students Office, Counseling and Mental Health Center and Vandal Health Education after the show.
Tickets are free with a reservation.
As part of the Katy Benoit Campus Safety Month, University of Idaho Women’s Center will partner with the Violence Prevention Programs and other campus entities to host Take Back the Night — an event to spread awareness of interpersonal violence on campus and to show support for those affected by it. Join us for this event at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12 in Ag Sci 106.
Make aromatherapy rollers and set good intentions for the semester from 12:30-2:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, at the Women’s Center (Memorial Gym, 109).
The "Responding to Disclosures of Interpersonal Violence" training is a 90-minute session that focuses on handling disclosures of interpersonal violence from students.
University of Idaho employees and students are invited to attend this online training from 2-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Join us for the Katy Benoit Campus Safety Forum, a FREE screening of the feature film Disfluency, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Theatre in downtown Moscow.
After the film, there will be a panel with the Director of the film, Anna Baumgarten, and campus/community resources that support survivors of power-based violence to discuss themes, questions and more with those who wish to stay.
About the Film:
- “Disfluency” is the story of Jane, a college senior who fails her final class before graduation, after being sexually assaulted at a party. She returns to her family’s home and struggles to remember exactly what happened to her. Jane experiences the world through the lens of language – her area of study – and with elements of ASL and linguistics throughout, “Disfluency” asks us to think about consent and how we communicate. Much like the films “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” that explore trauma, Jane’s story has highs and lows and is wrapped in the warm blanket of a summer coming-of-age film.
- The film presents a raw portrayal of PTSD without the need for graphic scenes of assault. Without seeing anything explicit or even knowing exactly what happened, Jane’s devastation is palpable and enough to make the viewer’s stomach clench. By not depicting the assault itself, the film also rightfully takes away any opportunity the viewer could have had to question the validity of Jane’s trauma. It is decidedly not just about the trauma itself, but about her bravery in moving on with her life, even if she admits to still not being completely okay. This theme extends beyond the typical discussions of consent you might see in films with similar premises. “Disfluency” is a masterclass in many of the feelings of self-doubt survivors face when disclosing.
- Surely destined to be the next important film to explore sexual assault and its aftermath, the film's creators sought out significant survivor feedback as well as adjoining educational resources throughout its creation, determined to make an impact in the work to support survivors.
Join us for a Green Dot Bystander Intervention Workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. Room is TBD.
This interactive workshop is designed to equip participants with the necessary connections, knowledge and skills to increase their proactive and reactive bystander behaviors. This workshop equips participants to take immediate action within their role in the campus community by connecting them to the impact they can have on the lives of others.
We invite employees across U of I campus and centers to join us for a virtual Green Dot Overview from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The Green Dot Overview for employees introduces the basic elements of Green Dot, focusing specifically on the vital role university employees play in establishing and reinforcing campus culture. This virtual workshop will be interactive and action-oriented.
Additional Safety Month Events
The week coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day, Sept. 8, a global event that is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). World Suicide Prevention Day began in 2003 with the purpose of raising awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. Events throughout the week focus on the ideas of "There is hope. There is help.", "We Got Your Back", and "Vandals Helping Vandals".
Learn about prevention, take part in a training, participate in the annual Suicide Awareness 5k and more throughout the week.
Annually, during the third week of September, the Fraternity and Sorority Life community recognizes National Hazing Prevention Week (NHPW).
NHPW is an opportunity to educate students, parents, teachers, coaches, administrators, employees, athletic directors, band and performing arts members and directors, residence hall leadership, student government leaders, community members, local and campus police and others to not just recognize hazing but to learn ways they can prevent it from occurring in the first place.
Please see the events calendar for more details on the events planned for each day.