Southeastern steps out against Domestic Violence
Press Release Date: 10-26-2011
The march continues on the Southeastern campus.
DURANT, Okla. – More than 230 students, faculty, staff and community friends marched in downtown Durant, dressed in purple shirts, as part of the community Domestic Violence "March with Me" event on Oct. 3.
The march was sponsored by the Regional University System of Oklahoma/Violence Prevention Project, Southeastern Office of Violence Prevention, and the Southeastern Office of Student Life.
Durant Chief of Police Durward Cook and Durant Reserve Police Officers, under the supervision of Ardie Ballew, planned the route and escorted the marchers down to Durant's Market Square and back to the campus.
Concurrently, Southeastern president Larry Minks attended the inaugural National Summit on Campus Safety for College and University Presidents in Washington, D.C. The event was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.
According to a report from the Attorney General, more than 15,000 incidents of domestic violence were reported throughout Oklahoma in 2010, with 46 people dying as a result of domestic abuse. The number includes both homicides and suicides.
Stefan Kells, a senior at Southeastern, said of the statistics: "It was just really surprising to all of us, and a little overwhelming. In response to Oklahoma's ranking of 11th in the nation for domestic violent deaths of women, the Southeastern campus has initiated the Green Dot Program to accompany the Department of Justice Violence Prevention Project grant for college campuses. Our Green Dot Volunteer service group really feels that this is an issue that continuously needs to be addressed."
The Green Dot/Southeastern Office of Violence Prevention may be reached at 580-745-3102 or at the weekly 6 p.m. Wednesday meetings on the third floor of the Glen D. Johnson Student Union.