ĿͲƱ

April 10, 2015

ĿͲƱ ‘Take Back the Night’ walk to promote awareness of sexual assault

The Residence Hall Association at ĿͲƱ’s Raymond Campus will host a series of Take Back the Night™ activities throughout April, culminating in a campus walk on April 30.…
BY: Cathy Hayden

web_RHA Take Back The Night

The Residence Hall Association at ĿͲƱ’s Raymond Campus will host a series of Take Back the Night™ activities throughout April, culminating in a campus walk on April 30. The goal is to boost awareness of sexual assault.

College campuses and communities around the country hold TBTN events throughout the year, primarily during the months of October, November, March and April to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Sexual Abuse Awareness Month, Women’s History Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“Sexual assault is a big thing that could happen on any college campus. We need to make people aware,” said Allison Thurman, a nursing student and director of external communications for the Raymond Campus Residence Hall Association. “Younger girls who just get to college, they may think, ‘Oh, this is normal. What this guy is trying to do, this is normal.’ They may not realize it’s sexual assault, and you don’t have to take this. We’re trying to bring awareness to them and to let them know how to protect themselves and let people break the silence.”

Beginning at 7 p.m. on April 30, the Raymond Campus walk will encircle the residence halls and will feature chants and signs promoting awareness of sexual assault, ending in the Courtyard in the center of campus. The walk will include students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the community. It will conclude with a Point of Light ceremony and a guest speaker.

“Creating awareness allows victims to know they are not alone and may receive support from the Hinds campus community. This also allows our campus community to feel safe knowing the College supports them,” said Alonzo Bouldin, resident hall director who is organizing the project.

Other events leading up to Take Back the Night include:

•           Campus clean-up sign-up is April 13-28 with the clean-up at 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 29.

•           Dinner and a show in the Raymond Campus cafeteria on April 13 and 14, co-sponsored with the Counseling Center

•           Associated Student Government and Residence Hall Association night, April 23

Take Back The Night® is an international Foundation that serves to create safe communities and respectful relationships through awareness events and initiatives. We seek to end sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse and all other forms of sexual violence.

“We would love to see students, faculty and staff as well as community members participate in the walk. A larger number of participants allow us to make a stronger stance against sexual misconduct,’’ Bouldin said.

In January 2014, The White House reported that one-in-five women are sexually assaulted in college. In response, President Obama created the White House Task Force to protect students from sexual assault in an effort to develop and coordinate federal response to campus rape and sexual assault.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 78 percent of sexual violence involved an offender who was a family member, intimate partner, friend or acquaintance. Additionally, the percentage of sexual assault victimizations reported to the police has declined in recent years and the most common reason for victims not reporting was fear of reprisal.

For more information about this event or to participate, please contact The Housing and Resident Life Office at .601.857.3222 or email Alonzo Bouldin at Alonzo.BouldinJr@hindscc.edu

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As Mississippi’s largest community college, ĿͲƱ is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with more than 170 academic, career and technical programs. With six locations in central Mississippi, Hinds enrolled nearly 12,000 credit students in fall 2014. To learn more, visit or call 1.800.HindsCC.

Photo: Angie Foote

UTICA – Local high school students learned a bit about the future of technology at the September 11 “Empowering the Future of Innovative TECH Leaders,” summit on the Utica Campus.

The expo was about bringing awareness to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs at Utica and the kinds of careers people in STEM can get.

“We are committed to moving people forward to fulfill their purpose and passion, demonstrating accountability, leadership and innovation. Tech is the future. Let this event inspire you for the future of technology,” said Jonathan Townes, Vice President Instruction, Career and Technical Education.

Townes told students workers skilled in cybersecurity are in demand because the advances in technology also lead to more online vulnerabilities.

Cybersecurity providers are the “guardians of the galaxy,” Townes said. He talked about the importance of keeping businesses and institutions safe and gave examples of the crippling effect of malware on America’s digital infrastructures in healthcare, education and business.

J.J. Townsend, Community Affairs representative and Ecosystem builder for Microsoft, was introduced by Townes as a tech activist because he works to bring access to technology to rural and underserved Mississippians. He picked up on the idea of “guardians of the galaxy,” saying, “There is a critical need for skilled people to fill these jobs in Mississippi. At Microsoft we want to empower every Mississippian by giving them access to technology.”

“It is vital for our businesses, our schools, our governments to be protected from malware,” he said. “Cybersecurity crime is not a victimless crime. It really hurts people and can put their lives in jeopardy. Recall recent cases of rural hospitals and community colleges getting hit with malware. That’s the kind of thing we are fighting every day. That’s where the opportunity for you lies.”

“The industry and the need for skilled technicians is only going to grow as we move into the future. It should excite you. The entry level roles of machine-learning engineers and research scientists start out at $100,000,” Townsend said. Then he listed four steps students needed to take:

1. Get educated.
2. Stay curious, always be looking for the next greatest thing.
3. Network – talk to professionals in the business, develop relationships, learn about opportunities for work and internships.
4. Gain experience – build a reputation for excellence.

High schools represented at the event included River City Early College High School, Warren Central, Vicksburg High School, Hazlehurst High School, Forest Hill High School and Crystal Springs High School.

Students were given swag bags from Hinds as they piled into the auditorium for the cybersecurity presentation. Afterwards students went to breakout sessions where many departments had set up booths with brochures and leaflets, tools from their profession were on display, and instructors were on hand to answer questions.

Among tech companies represented at the summit were Lobaki, the Mississippi Coding Academy, Dream Innovations Inc. and NASA Community College Aerospace Schools.

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Hinds offers affordable, comprehensive educational opportunities across six campus locations and has nearly 500 academic classes guaranteed to transfer to a university, over 65 career and technical program options and an extensive array of online courses. Applications for general admissions are currently being accepted. Prospective students are encouraged to apply and explore enrollment steps at hindscc.edu/enroll.

Our Mission: ĿͲƱ is committed to moving people and communities forward by helping develop their purpose, passion and profession.

Our Vision: ĿͲƱ will be a catalyst to create a competitive economy and a compelling culture for Mississippi.

Our Values: ĿͲƱ aspires to the following IDEALS: Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Accountability, Leadership, Stewardship.

To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.HindsCC.