WFU Students Address Rape Awareness

A Wake Forest University student organization, PREPAR (Policy Group for Rape Education, Prevention and Response), will sponsor its annual Rape Awareness Week February 9-12.

“The goal of the week is to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault, provide information about the prevention of sexual assault, and encourage members of the community to express their thoughts and feelings about sexual assault,” according to Betsy Taylor, a psychologist in the university’s counseling center who works with the group.

Campus events will include a mock trial at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, in Carswell Hall’s Annenburg Forum (Room 111). Two local attorneys and a Forsyth County judge will preside over a mock acquaintance rape trial. Wake Forest students will take on the roles of the victim, the accused and witnesses. Audience members will volunteer to be members of the jury. A discussion on the legal aspects of rape will follow the trial.

Andrea Wheatley, community educator on domestic violence for Family Services of Winston-Salem, will be the keynote speaker at a “Speak Out” on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. in Wait Chapel. The candlelight ceremony will include anonymous testimonials of personal experiences of rape and sexual assaults read by student members of PREPAR.

The public is invited to attend both events. For more information, call (910) 758-5273.

Categories: Campus Life, Community, Events, Speakers, Student