Month of Safety, Suicide Awareness Event Starts at U of I

MOSCOW, Idaho — Community members are invited to participate in events that enhance University of Idaho campus safety throughout Katy Benoit Campus Safety Awareness Month.

The events, which are free and open to the public, provide resources for students, university employees and residents to understand digital safety, bystander intervention tactics and build a community-wide safety culture.

“At U of I, we are committed to maintaining a campus that is safe for all Vandals,” said Blaine Eckles, vice provost for student affairs and dean of students.

Katy Benoit Safety Forum

Learn about digital dating safety and safely navigating dating apps at the Katy Benoit Campus Safety Forum keynote address at 7 p.m., Sept. 15, in the Bruce M. Pitman Center International Ballroom.

This year’s speaker is Adam Dodge, founder of EndTAB, a national violence prevention organization that promotes safety in the digital age.

Benoit, a former U of I graduate student, was killed in 2011 by a romantic partner, a former U of I professor, who then took his own life. Her death spurred a broader movement for campus safety and violence prevention programing at U of I, resulting in an annual month-long awareness campaign and a scholarship fund.

“This month of programming provides vital safety lessons that help Katy’s name continue to live on,” Eckles said.

Take Back the Night

Spread awareness of interpersonal violence and show support for people affected at Take Back the Night at 7 p.m. Sept. 21, in room 106 of the Agricultural Science building.

The rally, featuring a speech by Vandal alum Steve Bonnar, will be followed by a candlelit march around campus at dusk. It is hosted by the U of I Women’s Center, Violence Prevention Programs and other campus entities.

Take Back the Night originated at the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women in March 1976 in Brussels, Belgium. College campuses worldwide soon began hosting their own rallies.

“The U of I community is part of a much larger global movement to take a stand and break the shame and silence around sexual assault, intimate partner violence and stalking,” said Lysa Salsbury, director of U of I’s Women’s Center.

Campus Safety and Lighting Walk, Other Events

Join the Dean of Students Office on a Campus Safety and Lighting Walk at 7 p.m. Oct. 5 to identify lighting and safety concerns across campus. Beginning at the ASUI Lounge in the Idaho Student Union Building, the event provides an opportunity for the public to engage in planning with U of I and the city of Moscow, where applicable, to create safe environments with or without sunlight. Attendees will divide into groups as they tour campus and Paradise Path.

Find more events honoring Katy Benoit’s legacy this month. All contributions to the Katy Benoit Safety Fund go to educational programs and direct support for individuals affected by relationship violence.

Note: The attached photo can be attributed to University of Idaho. A suggested caption is: “A bench on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow remembering Katy Benoit.”

Media Contact:
Kyle Pfannenstiel
External Communications Coordinator
208-329-8947
kylecp@uidaho.edu