{"243561":{"#nid":"243561","#data":{"type":"news","title":"VOICE Provides Programming, Advocacy for Sexual Violence Prevention","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDear Georgia Tech Students, Faculty and Staff,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier this week, an email written by a Georgia Tech fraternity member to his chapter was widely circulated throughout our community and picked up by various news sources. The email directly encourages the use of alcohol as a coercive tool for nonconsensual sexual activity. The email and behavior described within it is reprehensible. At Georgia Tech, we define consent as informed, freely and actively given, not coerced in anyway. This email further perpetuates a rape culture that normalizes and even encourages sexual violence on college campuses and society at large.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile this email came from a member of a fraternity, the issue of sexual violence is not limited to the Greek community. We take a wider community approach that advocates everyone has a role to play in sexual violence prevention. We applaud those who came forward to the administration about this email and recognize their actions as the first step.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech takes this issue seriously. VOICE is Georgia Tech\u2019s sexual violence prevention and advocacy initiative that strives to create a campus culture that encourages respect, communication, and equity. VOICE believes that everyone has the right to live and learn free of violence or the threat of violence. This initiative is led by the Women\u2019s Resource Center and Health Promotion, and is comprised of multiple campus stakeholders.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVOICE has a number of ongoing programs and events targeted at sexual violence prevention. A few upcoming programs are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESafe Sister, TONIGHT, 5\u20139 p.m.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAlly Training, Oct. 25, 8:30 a.m \u2013\u0026nbsp;noon\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFraternity Men Against Violence (part of Man Up Week), Nov. 13, 5\u20139 p.m.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAdvocate Training, Nov. 22, 8:30 a.m. \u2013\u0026nbsp;5 p.m.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOngoing presentations to classes or student organizations by request.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are just a few of the ways we engage, students, faculty and staff on this issue. For information and to register for these programs, please visit voice.gatech.edu.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe recognize that this student\u2019s email has made many in our community feel unsafe, victimized, or triggered. VOICE will be holding open office hours on Thursday from 2:30\u20135 p.m. and Friday from 1\u20134 p.m. in the Women\u0027s Resource Center (Suite 131, Flag Building) for those in need of support or advocacy.\u0026nbsp; Throughout the year, an advocate is available in the Women\u0027s Resource Center Monday\u2013Friday, 9 a.m.\u20135 p.m. by appointment, and for emergency after hours through the Georgia Tech Police Department.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on sexual violence resources on campus and in the community, or to get involved, please visit voice.gatech.edu or email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:voice@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Evoice@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESincerely,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe VOICE Initiative\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMembers of the VOICE initiative address campus regarding an email that was circulated this week.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Members of the VOICE initiative address campus regarding an email that was circulated this week."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2013-10-08 17:19:31","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:05","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/voice.gatech.edu\/","title":"The VOICE Initiative"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167849","name":"sexual violence prevention"},{"id":"167069","name":"student affairs"},{"id":"167141","name":"Student Life"},{"id":"4968","name":"VOICE"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}