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Kimberly Slover
Director, College Communications
(603) 526-3647
NEW LONDON, N.H., April 3, 2006 — Colby-Sawyer College will host the 12th Annual New Hampshire Clothesline Project, “Break the Silence,” a visual display that bears witness to domestic and sexual violence in our society. The purpose of this display is to educate and to mourn those who have died as a result of this violence, as well as to bear witness to victims' courage and their struggle to survive and to heal.
The event, held in cooperation with the AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program and Colby-Sawyer's Department of Campus Safety Women's Initiative, will take place in the Mercer Hall gymnasium from Wednesday, April 26, through Saturday, April 29. The event is open Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public is invited to view the exhibit and create a T-shirt from materials that will be made available. Admission is free.
During the event, clotheslines will be hung with thousands of T-shirts, decorated by survivors of violence or someone who cares about a victim or survivor. Often the experience of viewing this overwhelming display of strength and remembrance is enough to encourage survivors to “break the silence” and contribute shirts of their own. This is an important step in ending the vicious cycle of abuse. By hanging a shirt out in the open, victims can leave behind some of their pain and continue to heal.
According to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior used by one person to gain power and control over another. National surveys reveal that one in four college women have been subject to rape or attempted rape since the age of 14, nine in 10 acquaintance rapes are never reported, and that 1,871 sexual assaults occur every day in the United States. The goal of the Department of Campus Safety Women's Initiative is to educate men and women about sexual assault through prevention education and survivor support.
The Clothesline Project provides a nationwide network of support and information for communities interested in starting their own local projects. For more information, please contact Donna Brennan at (603) 526-3675.
Colby-Sawyer, founded in 1837, is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Students from 26 states and six foreign countries learn in small classes through a select array of programs that integrate the liberal arts and sciences with pre-professional experience.
