{"id":743,"date":"2019-07-17T18:18:45","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/operationjunglered2012\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:18:45","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:18:45","slug":"operationjunglered2012","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/operationjunglered2012\/","title":{"rendered":"2012 ‘Operation Jungle Red’ promotes non-violence"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n


\n <\/p>\n

DANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 Western Connecticut State University<\/a> will hold \u201cOperation Jungle Red\u201d (OJR) events throughout the month of October 2012 in promotion of Domestic Violence Awareness Month<\/a>. The program will consist of four lectures on different topics and an ending OJR send-off event that will feature artist performances and a gathering of community resources. Events will take place at the Student Center on the university\u2019s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury, and the Westside Campus Center, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. All discussions will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The concluding send-off event will be from 7 to 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2022\tOct. 2: Gender Stereotypes – Midtown Student Center courtyard

\n \u2022\tOct. 11: Sexual Violence \u2013 Westside Campus Center

\n \u2022\tOct. 17: Violence and the Law \u2013 Midtown Student Center courtyard

\n \u2022\tOct. 22: Intimate Partner Violence – Midtown Student Center courtyard

\n \u2022\tOct. 24: OJR send off \u2013 Westside Campus Center ballroom<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Students who attend the discussions will receive a pledge card and have their pinky nail painted red, a cornerstone of the event. Students willing to share what they\u2019ve learned throughout the discussions will receive prize giveaways.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Litchfield Hall Resident Director Rafael Cordwell is leader of the anti-violence movement at WestConn. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cViolence, oppression and prejudice are learned behaviors. That which is learned can be unlearned,\u201d said Cordwell, who organized what was a successful first OJR campaign at WestConn last October. Cordwell, who chairs the OJR committee, is currently working toward a Master of Arts in women\u2019s studies.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The OJR committee is comprised of faculty and professionals in the community with training and experience directly related to this ongoing societal issue. \u201cThe discussion groups are pivotal to the program and unique to WestConn,\u201d Cordwell said. \u201cBy recruiting professionals, we hoped to ensure the longevity of the program.\u201d Psychologists, police officers, professors and educators including Kelly Mullins, community educator for the Women\u2019s Center of Greater Danbury, and Rebecca Cohen, community educator for Women\u2019s Support Services of Sharon, Conn., will lead discussions. Sharon Guck, coordinator of WestConn\u2019s alcohol & substance abuse prevention program, also will take part, along with a number of other faculty members. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

OJR was first enacted in 2008 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, to commemorate the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech and end senseless violence on college campuses. Students taking a course about contemporary issues in men\u2019s health organized the program, with the initiative to bring to light the different types of violence committed by men and generate discussion about the socialization of men and the significant role it plays in these violent acts.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Women\u2019s Center of Greater Danbury<\/a> has a partnership with the university where they provide domestic violence and sexual assault outreach services to the WestConn community with an office located on WestConn\u2019s Midtown campus. The Men\u2019s Initiative<\/a> is a movement organized through the center that confronts male violence against women by using male role models to conduct gender education and present a healthy definition of masculinity. Members become agents of change by confronting gender stereotypes and behavior that devalues women. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Cordwell is co-chair of the Women\u2019s Center\u2019s Men\u2019s Initiative, where he has been chosen as one of 100 exceptional male leaders throughout Connecticut to be honored at a Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence breakfast in Hartford on Sept. 21. He has implemented programs through the center such as the new \u201cSlice of Life,\u201d an eight-week, anti-violence program run through the residence halls. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Now Cordwell\u2019s energy is devoted to making OJR an even bigger success than last year so students can obtain a broadened perspective. \u201cWith this program I hope to challenge students\u2019 way of thinking as well as how they\u2019re socialized, the way they communicate, and how they show compassion,\u201d Cordwell said. \u201cTransforming the atmosphere and culture at the university was the driving force behind my desire to replicate this program.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For more information, call (203) 837-9060.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n